Linux Terminal: Overview of the most important commands

This practical tip tells you which terminal commands are most important under Linux.

The most important commands for the Linux terminal

With the following commands you can take full advantage of the Linux terminal. You can find application examples for each command in our picture gallery.

"cd": If you want to change to a different directory, type in "cd". The cd command thus navigates one directory down. With "cd .." you go up a directory. If you are initially in the root directory, use "cd workspace" to get to your desktop and "cd .." to return to the starting point.
"ls": If you don't know what is in the current directory, enter "ls". You will receive a list of all visible files in the console.
"cp": If you want to duplicate a file, enter "cp". The first file is copied and the second is created in the same directory. You can find out more about file handling in our tips on deleting files under Linux.
"df": If you are interested in how much free space you have on your hard disk, type "df". If you want to free up space afterwards, another practical tip explains how to find large files in Linux and then delete them.
"kill": If you want to end a program, enter "kill" in the terminal. You can find this process identifier in System Monitoring> Processes.
"man": If you are not sure which parameters a command needs or want to know more about, you can find a manual with "man".

You can find even more console commands in our articles on comparing files on Linux and merging files on Linux.