Graphical user interfaces are super friendly to computer users. They were introduced in reaction to the perceived steep learning curve of command-line interfaces (CLIs).
However, they often require more resources, are less powerful and hard to automate via scripting.
As a computer expert, we want to be more efficient and do our jobs better. We know that command words may not be easily discoverable or mnemonic, so we try to list some common tasks that you might be tempted to do in GUI.
- copy a file
- duplicate a file
- copy a directory
- duplicate a directory
- move a file
- rename a file
- move a directory
- rename a directory
- merge directories
- create a new file
- create a new directory
- show file/directory size
- show file/directory info
- open a file with the default program
- open a file in any application
- zip a directory
- unzip a directory
- peek files in a zip file
- remove a file
- remove a directory
- remove all files of certain criteria
- list directory contents
- tree view a directory and its subdirectories
- find a stale file
- show a calendar
- find a future date
- use a calculator
- force quit a program
- check server response
- view content of a file
- search for a text in a file
- search in all files in current working directory, quickly (entire disk in less than 15 minutes)
- view an image
- show disk size
- check cpu usage, processes and RAM
- know whether your computer is under load, and whether it's due to memory or CPU
- poweroff or reboot your computer
- locate USB drives
- unmount USB drives
- format USB drives
- check USB format
- run command on all files of a directory
- check network connectivity to a remote address and port
- check DNS config of a domain
- check the ownership and registration of a domain
- Quick tips
- Hotkeys
- I can't remember these cryptic commands
STOP DRAG AND DROPPING A FILE, OR CMD/CTRL + C, CMD/CTRL + V A FILE 👎
Copy readme.txt to the documents directory
$ cp readme.txt documents/STOP RIGHT CLICKING AND DUPLICATE A FILE 👎
$ cp readme.txt readme.bak.txtMore advanced:
$ cp readme{,.bak}.txt
# Note: learn how the {} works with touch foo{1,2,3}.txt and see what happens.STOP DRAG AND DROPPING A DIRECTORY, OR CMD/CTRL + C, CMD/CTRL + V A DIRECTORY 👎
Copy myMusic directory to the myMedia directory
$ cp -a myMusic myMedia/
# or
$ cp -a myMusic/ myMedia/myMusic/STOP RIGHT CLICKING AND DUPLICATE A DIRECTORY 👎
$ cp -a myMusic/ myMedia/
# or if `myMedia` folder doesn't exist
$ cp -a myMusic myMedia/STOP DRAG AND DROPPING A FILE, OR CMD/CTRL + X, CMD/CTRL + V A FILE 👎
$ mv readme.txt documents/Always use a trailing slash when moving files, for this reason.
STOP RIGHT CLICKING AND RENAME A FILE 👎
$ mv readme.txt README.mdSTOP DRAG AND DROPPING A DIRECTORY, OR CMD/CTRL + X, CMD/CTRL + V A DIRECTORY 👎
$ mv myMedia myMusic/
# or
$ mv myMedia/ myMusic/myMediaSTOP RIGHT CLICKING AND RENAME A DIRECTORY 👎
$ mv myMedia/ myMusic/STOP DRAG AND DROPPING TO MERGE DIRECTORIES 👎
$ rsync -a /images/ /images2/ # note: may over-write files with the same name, so be careful!STOP RIGHT CLICKING AND CREATE A NEW FILE 👎
$ touch 'new file' # updates the file's access and modification timestamp if it already exists
# or
$ > 'new file' # note: erases the content if it already existsSTOP RIGHT CLICKING AND CREATE A NEW DIRECTORY 👎
$ mkdir 'untitled folder'
# or
$ mkdir -p 'path/may/not/exist/untitled folder'STOP RIGHT CLICKING AND SHOW FILE/directory INFO 👎
$ du -sh node_modules/STOP RIGHT CLICKING AND SHOW FILE/DIRECTORY INFO 👎
$ stat -x readme.md # on macOS
$ stat readme.md # on LinuxSTOP DOUBLE CLICKING ON A FILE 👎
$ xdg-open file # on Linux
$ open file # on MacOS
$ start file # on WindowsSTOP RIGHT CLICKING AND OPEN WITH 👎
$ open -a appName fileSTOP RIGHT CLICKING AND COMPRESS DIRECTORY 👎
$ zip -r archive_name.zip folder_to_compressSTOP RIGHT CLICKING AND UNCOMPRESS DIRECTORY 👎
$ unzip archive_name.zipSTOP RIGHT CLICKING AND UNCOMPRESS DIRECTORY 👎
$ unar archive_name.zip
$ unar archive_name.7z
$ unar archive_name.rar
$ unar archive_name.ISO
$ unar archive_name.tar.gzSTOP USING WinRAR 👎
$ zipinfo archive_name.zip
# or
$ unzip -l archive_name.zipSTOP USING WinRAR 👎
$ lsar -l archive_name.zip
$ lsar -l archive_name.7z
$ lsar -l archive_name.ISO
$ lsar -l archive_name.rar
$ lsar -l archive_name.tar.gzSTOP RIGHT CLICKING AND DELETE A FILE PERMANENTLY 👎
$ rm my_useless_fileIMPORTANT: The rm command deletes my_useless_file permanently, which is equivalent to move my_useless_file to Recycle Bin and hit Empty Recycle Bin.
STOP RIGHT CLICKING AND DELETE A DIRECTORY PERMANENTLY 👎
$ rm -r my_useless_folder$ find . -name "*.bak" -type f -deleteIMPORTANT: run find . -name "*.bak" -type f first to see exactly which files you will remove.
STOP OPENING YOUR FINDER OR FILE EXPLORER 👎
$ ls my_folder # Simple
$ ls -la my_folder # -l: show in list format. -a: show all files, including hidden. -la combines those options.
$ ls -alrth my_folder # -r: reverse output. -t: sort by time (modified). -h: output human-readable sizes.STOP OPENING YOUR FINDER OR FILE EXPLORER 👎
$ tree # on Linux
$ find . -print | sed -e 's;[^/]*/;|____;g;s;____|; |;g' # on MacOS
# Note: install homebrew (https://brew.sh) to be able to use (some) Linux utilities such as tree.
# brew install treeSTOP USING YOUR FILE EXPLORER TO FIND A FILE 👎
Find all files modified more than 5 days ago
$ find my_folder -mtime +5STOP LOOKING UP WHAT THIS MONTH LOOKS LIKE BY CALENDAR WIDGETS 👎
Display a text calendar
$ calDisplay selected month and year calendar
$ cal 11 2018STOP USING WEBAPPS TO CALCULATE FUTURE DATES 👎
What is today's date?
$ date +%m/%d/%YWhat about a week from now?
$ date -d "+7 days" # on Linux
$ date -j -v+7d # on MacOSSTOP USING CALCULATOR WIDGET 👎
$ bc -lSTOP CTRL + ALT + DELETE and choose the program to kill 👎
$ killall -9 program_nameSTOP OPENING A BROWSER 👎
$ curl -i umair.surge.sh
# curl's -i (--include) option includes HTTP response headers in its output.STOP DOUBLE CLICKING A FILE 👎
$ cat apps/settings.py
# if the file is too big to fit on one page, you can use a 'pager' (less) which shows you one page at a time.
$ less apps/settings.pySTOP CMD/CTRL + F IN A FILE 👎
$ grep -i "Query" file.txt
STOP CMD/CTRL + F IN A DIRECTORY 👎
$ ripgrep -i "Query"
# brew install ripgrepSTOP USING PREVIEW 👎
$ imgcat image.png
# Note: requires iTerm2 terminal.STOP RIGHT CLICKING DISK ICON OR OPENING DISK UTILITY 👎
$ df -hSTOP OPENING YOUR ACTIVITY MONITOR OR TASK MANAGER 👎
$ topif you want some more details:
$ htop$ glances
# brew install glancesThis can be useful when you're patching a server that is accessed via SSH and you don't have a GUI.
# poweroff
$ sudo shutdown -h now
# reboot
$ sudo shutdown -r now$ df$ sudo umount /dev/sdb1# FAT32
$ sudo mkfs.vfat /dev/sdb1
# NTFS
$ sudo mkfs.ntfs /dev/sdb1
# exFAT
$ sudo mkfs.exfat /dev/sdb1$ sudo fsck /dev/sdb1STOP CLICKING THE FILES ONE BY ONE 👎
$ for FILE in *; do echo $FILE; doneSTOP USING NETWORK UTILITY
$ nc -vz www.google.com 443
$ nc -vz 1.1.1.1 53STOP USING NETWORK UTILITY
$ dig www.google.comSTOP USING NETWORK UTILITY AND THE WEBSITE OF DOMAIN REGISTRATION PROVIDERS
$ whois www.google.com
| Hotkey | Description |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+A | Go to the beginning of the line you are currently typing on |
| Ctrl+E | Go to the end of the line you are currently typing on |
| Ctrl+L | Clears the Screen, similar to the clear command |
| Ctrl+U | Clears the line before the cursor position. If you are at the end of the line, clears the entire line. |
| Ctrl+H | Same as backspace |
| Ctrl+R | Lets you search through previously used commands |
| Ctrl+C | Kill whatever you are running |
| Ctrl+D | Exit the current shell |
| Ctrl+Z | Puts whatever you are running into a suspended background process. fg restores it. |
| Ctrl+W | Delete the word before the cursor |
| Ctrl+K | Clear the line after the cursor |
| Ctrl+T | Swap the last two characters before the cursor |
| Ctrl+F | Move cursor forward one character |
| Ctrl+B | Move cursor backward one character |
| Esc+T | Swap the last two words before the cursor |
| Alt+T | Same as Esc + T |
| Alt+F | Move cursor forward one word on the current line |
| Alt+B | Move cursor backward one word on the current line |
| Esc+F | Same as Alt + F |
| Esc+B | Same as Alt + B |
| Alt+. | Paste the last word of the most recently command |
| Tab | Auto-complete files and directory names |
| Go to table of contents 🔼 |
You can always google or man the commands you are not familiar with. Or, checkout tldr, a collection of simplified and community-driven man pages.
