Linux File Commands
Richard Fox · 2021
This chapter introduces the reader to Linux file commands, primarily covering commands that non-root users will use. Specific commands examined in detail are cat, cd, cmp, comm, cp, diff, head, join, less, ln, ls, more, mkdir, mv, paste, pwd, rm, rmdir, sort, tail and wc. For every command covered, examples and the more helpful/useful options are explored. The path is introduced to be used in these instructions. Also covered is the set of Bash wildcards, along with numerous examples. Both hard and symbolic links are demonstrated. The chapter next considers files themselves and looks at Linux permissions, commands to change permissions and file ownership, and Linux forms for searching for files, emphasizing the find command. At a more general level, storage devices are explored and compared. The chapter ends with a brief look at lossless compression algorithms and the compression programs available in Linux.