Here are a few commonly used commands in case you ever forget them.

Navigating the Shell

pwd

"Prints" or shows the current directory you are in.

ls [path]

Perform a listing of the path you are currently in.

Common options: -l, -h, -a

cd [path]

Change into the given path or into your home directory.

Path

A description of where a file or directory is on the filesystem.

Absolute Path

One beginning from the root of the file system (eg. /etc/sysconfig ).

Relative Path

One relative to where you currently are in the system (eg. Documents/music ).

~ (tilde)

Used in paths as a reference to your home directory (eg. ~/Documents ).

. (dot)

Used in paths as a reference to your current directory (eg. ./bin ).

.. (dot dot)

Used in paths as a reference to your current directories parent directory (eg. ../bin ).

TAB completion

Start typing and press TAB. The system will auto complete the path. Press TAB twice and it will show you your alternatives.

Permissions

r (read) w (write) x (execute)

Owner or User, Group and Others

ls -l [path]

View the permissions of a file or all items in a directory.

chmod <permissions> <path>

Change permissions.

Instructional Commands

man <command>

View the man page for a command.

man -k <search term>

Search for man pages containing the search term.

Press q to exit man pages