Linux Terminal Cheat Sheet (Useful for Beginners)
Tags: linux, commands, terminal, codenewbie
Published: 2021-08-03 23:55:18

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A Linux cheat sheet for beginners (short, sweet, and to the point)

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## Linux (Useful Commands) Terminal Cheat Sheet

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**Navigation Commands:**
- `passwd` - change password
- `ls` - list directory (Can point at any point on the machine)      
   - `-la` a flag that lists all + permissions and hidden files
- `pwd` - print working directory - check where you're at
- `cd` - change directory (Can address at any point in the machine file system)
- `mkdir` - make directory
- `rmdir` - remove director
- `rm` - remove files
- `echo` - sends data (if no destination is given than data is sent as output to the terminal)
- `cp` copy a file (`cp [source] [desintation]`)
- `mv` - mv a file (`mv [source] [desintation]`)
- `locate` - locate a file on the machine (`locate [filename]`)
- `updatedb` - updates the directory database (must run before running locate)
- `man` - manual page of any command
- `grep` - search for the following words (can be used to check if a file contains specific info)


	
Linux is case sensitive so be aware of your capital letters!

- `./` - your directory right now
- `../` - previous folder
- `~` - the users root folder
- `|` - pipe the output of one command into another
- `>` - use command on the following file (overwrite)
- `>>` - use command on following file (appends)

**Privilege's and user commands:**
- `cat` - reads a file to the terminal
- `chmod` - changes permissions for a file
- `adduser` - make a new user 
- `sudo` - give root permissions for the following command being executed 
- `su` - switch user 

**Network Commands:**
- `ifconfig` - print network information
- `iwconfig` - wireless network information
- `ping` - ping an ip address (`-c` flag lets you define how many times you wish to ping the given ip address)
- `arp -a` - send out an arp request to check for machines on the network
- `netstat -a` - shows all open ports and what is connected to these ports
- `route` - shows a routing table

**Viewing, creating, and editing commands:**
- `history` - lists the 15 commands you entered (`history | grep [command]` shows all the times you run a command on the machine (including specific syntax))
- `touch` - create a file
- `nano` - use the nano text editor
- `apt-get` - install [program name] - install a program on the machine (can be run without the install)
- `apt install` - install a file from the system / kali - server
- `apt purge` - program name - (You have to use the * *)
- `pip install` - run an installer for local files
- `git clone` - clone a github repository (This is a plugin and does not come preinstalled on most linux distributions!)

**Webserver Commands:**
- `service apache2 start` - start a webserver
- `service ssh start` - start an ssh server
- `service postgresql start` - a service that starts with metasploit 
- `service apache2 stop` - stops the webserver
- `systemctl enable [program name]` - start the service when the machine turns on

**Important files/directories in Linux:**
- `/etc/passwd` - a file that stores all of the users in the system
- `/etc/shadow` - stores all of the passwords in the system
- `/var/log/auth.log` - authentication reports

Thanks for reading and feel free to follow Clean Code Studio for more! 

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