Linux Basics

# for help on any command and its options do
command --help # ex. cd --help; ls --help

# usual syntax (way to use)
command -options arguments

# you can stack options (ex. -l -a -R = -Rla (order doesnt matter (unless specified in --help))



### MOVING AROUND AND SEEING SHIT

pwd # print current location (directory) (PrintWorkingDirectory

cd <folder / directory> # change current working directory
cd .. # go back one folder

ls -la # see contents (files) of current working directory; -a show hidden files
#also try
ls -l
ls


less <file> # see contents of a file
    -page up/down, spacebar, arrow keys for moving around
more <file> # similar to 'less'




###  WILDCARDS - something that replaces characters in file names or searches
* - replaces anything (including a whole word and spaces)
? - replaces a single character
[characters] - replaces any one character that is in [ ]
[!characters] - replaces any one character that is NOT in [ ]
[:digit:] - replaces a digit
[:alpha:] - alphabetic character
[:alnum:] - alphanumeric character
[:lower:] - lower case letter
[:upper:]


ex.
* # all files

*.txt # all txt files

g* # all files that begin with 'g'

*g # all files that end with 'g'

data??? # files that begin with "data" and are followed by exactly three characters

[abc]* # all files that begin with either 'a', 'b' or 'c'


### COPY MOVE RENAME CREATE DESTROY
cp # copy
mv # move (also used for renaming) <-----####
# mv behaves the same as cp
mkdir # make directory
rmdir # remove directory
rm # remove


# Create directories
mkdir dir1 # creates 1 directory with name "dir1"

mkdir dir1 dir2 dir3  # creates 3 directories with names "dir1", "dir2" and "dir3"


# Copy shit around
cp file1 file2 # if file2 exists it is overwritten (deleted and replaced)

cp -i file1 file2 # prompts (asks) if you want to overwrite (the "-i" thing allows that)

cp file1 file2 dir1 # copies file1 and file2 into directory dir1

cp dir1/* dir2 # copies everything from dir1 into dir2


# Move and rename
#mv behaves the same as cp
mv file1 file2 # renames item1 into item2, and overwrites like cp

mv -i file1 file2 # prompts for overwrite, like cp

# Delete

rm file1 # no prompt

rm -i file1 # prompted if you want to delete

rm dir1 # will not delete if directory has files or other directories

rm -r dir1 # -r (reccursive) deletes dir1 and all its contents



### USEFUL SHORTCUTS ###

Ctrl-Alt-F1 through F6 # (create) virtual console (backup console incase you fuck something up so you can fix your shit)
Alt-F1 through F6 # switch between virtual consoles

#usually
Ctrl+Shift+c # copy
Ctrl+Shift+v # paste
Scrollwheel click #paste




### SOME OTHER TERMINAL COMMANDS ###

df # print disk space available/used

date # print date
cal # print calendar




### OPTIONAL READ ###

GUI (graphical(visual) user interface) # graphical programs
CLI (command line interface) # programs used in a terminal


GUI makes easy tasks easy, CLI makes difficult tasks possible

shell is a program that takes keyboard commands and passes them on to the operating system to carry out