Linux Command Line Reference
The Linux command line, also known as the Terminal, is a powerful tool that opens up a wide range of possibilities for ChromeOS users. Through this interface, you can interact directly with the Linux environment installed on your device, allowing you to run commands, manage files, and execute scripts with precision and efficiency. This reference guide provides a curated list of the most commonly used Linux commands, designed to help you get the most out of your ChromeOS Linux experience, whether you're a beginner or an advanced user.
| Command | Description | More Information |
|---|---|---|
alias | Creates or lists aliases, which are shortcuts for commands. | alias command |
apt | The Advanced Package Tool is the default package manager for Debian-based Linux distributions. It is used to manage software packages. | apt documentation |
cat | Concatenates and displays files. Commonly used to read or combine files. | cat command |
cd | Changes the current working directory to the specified directory. | cd command |
chmod | Changes the file mode bits (permissions) of a file or directory. | chmod command |
chown | Changes the user and/or group ownership of a file or directory. | chown command |
clear | Clears the terminal screen. | clear command |
cp | Copies files and directories from one location to another. | cp command |
curl | Transfers data from or to a server using various protocols (HTTP, HTTPS, FTP, etc.). | curl command |
date | Displays or sets the system date and time. | date command |
df | Displays disk space usage of file systems. | df command |
du | Estimates and displays disk space used by files and directories. | du command |
echo | Displays a line of text or variables to the terminal. | echo command |
env | Prints or modifies the environment variables. | env command |
export | Sets environment variables for the current shell session. | export command |
find | Searches for files and directories in a directory hierarchy. | find command |
free | Displays the total amount of free and used physical and swap memory in the system. | free command |
grep | Searches for patterns in files using regular expressions. | grep command |
head | Outputs the first part of files. By default, displays the first 10 lines. | head command |
history | Displays or manipulates the command history list. | history command |
id | Displays user identity information, including user and group IDs. | id command |
ifconfig | Configures or displays network interface parameters. (Deprecated in favor of ip command.) | ip command |
ip | Shows or manipulates routing, network devices, interfaces, and tunnels. | ip command |
kill | Sends a signal to a process, typically used to terminate it. | kill command |
killall | Kills processes by name. | killall command |
less | A pager program used to view (but not modify) the contents of a text file one screen at a time. | less command |
ln | Creates links between files. By default, creates hard links; can create symbolic links with -s option. | ln command |
locate | Finds files by name using a prebuilt database. | locate command |
logout | Exits a login shell session. | logout command |
ls | Lists files and directories in the current working directory. | ls command |
man | Displays the manual pages for commands and programs. | man command |
mkdir | Creates a new directory with the specified name. | mkdir command |
mount | Mounts a filesystem. | mount command |
mv | Moves or renames files and directories. | mv command |
nano | A simple command-line text editor. | nano editor |
passwd | Changes a user's password. | passwd command |
ping | Sends ICMP ECHO_REQUEST packets to network hosts to test connectivity. | ping command |
ps | Reports a snapshot of current processes. | ps command |
pwd | Prints the full pathname of the current working directory. | pwd command |
reboot | Reboots the system. Requires superuser privileges. | reboot command |
rm | Removes (deletes) files or directories. | rm command |
rmdir | Removes empty directories. | rmdir command |
shutdown | Brings the system down in a secure way. | shutdown command |
sort | Sorts lines of text files. | sort command |
ssh | Securely connects to a remote host over the network via the SSH protocol. | ssh command |
ssh-keygen | Generates, manages, and converts authentication keys for SSH. | ssh-keygen command |
sudo | Executes a command as another user, typically the superuser (root). | sudo documentation |
tail | Outputs the last part of files. By default, displays the last 10 lines. | tail command |
tar | An archiving utility used to create, maintain, modify, and extract files from tar archives. | tar command |
top | Displays real-time information about running processes, including CPU and memory usage. | top command |
touch | Changes file timestamps or creates empty files if they do not exist. | touch command |
uname | Prints system information, such as kernel name, version, and architecture. | uname command |
unzip | Extracts files from a ZIP archive. | unzip command |
uptime | Tells how long the system has been running, and the load average. | uptime command |
vi / vim | A powerful text editor with a steep learning curve but extensive features. | vim editor |
wget | Downloads files from the web via HTTP, HTTPS, or FTP protocols. | wget command |
whereis | Locates the binary, source, and manual page files for a command. | whereis command |
which | Shows the full path of shell commands. | which command |
whoami | Prints the effective username of the current user. | whoami command |
xargs | Builds and executes command lines from standard input. | xargs command |
yes | Outputs a string repeatedly until killed. Often used to automate prompts. | yes command |
zip | Compresses files into a ZIP archive. | zip command |