{"id":6176,"date":"2024-07-08T02:10:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-08T06:10:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.both.org\/?p=6176"},"modified":"2024-07-01T09:53:27","modified_gmt":"2024-07-01T13:53:27","slug":"tips-for-using-the-ls-command-in-linux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.both.org\/?p=6176","title":{"rendered":"Tips for using the ‘ls’ command in Linux"},"content":{"rendered":"
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One of the first commands I learned in Linux was ls<\/code>. Knowing what\u2019s in a directory where a file on your system resides is important. Being able to see and modify not just some but all<\/em> of the files is also important.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My first Linux cheat sheet was the One Page Linux Manual, released in 1999 and it became my go-to reference. I taped it over my desk and referred to it often as I explored Linux. Listing files with ls -l<\/code> is introduced on the first page, at the bottom of the first column.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Later, I would learn other iterations of this most basic command. Through the ls<\/code> command, I began to learn about the complexity of the Linux file permissions and what was mine and what required root or sudo permission to change. I became very comfortable on the command line over time, and while I still use ls -l<\/code> to find files in the directory, I frequently use ls -al<\/code> so I can see hidden files that might need to be changed, like configuration files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to an article by Eric Fischer about the ls<\/code> command in the Linux Documentation Project<\/a>, the command’s roots go back to the listf<\/code> command on MIT\u2019s Compatible Time Sharing System in 1961. When CTSS was replaced by Multics<\/a>, the command became list<\/code>, with switches like list -all<\/code>. According to Wikipedia<\/a>, ls<\/code> appeared in the original version of AT&T Unix. The ls<\/code> command we use today on Linux systems comes from the GNU Core Utilities<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most of the time, I use only a couple of iterations of the command. Looking inside a directory with ls<\/code> or ls -al<\/code> is how I generally use the command, but there are many other options that you should be familiar with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

$ ls -l<\/strong><\/code> provides a simple list of the directory:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Using the man pages of my Linux Mint system, I find that there are many other options to ls<\/code>, all of which provide interesting and useful information about the Linux file system. By entering man ls<\/code> at the command prompt, we can begin to explore some of the other options:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To sort the directory by file sizes, use ls -lS<\/code>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To list the contents in reverse order, use ls -lr<\/code>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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List the contents in reverse order with $ ls -lr:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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To list contents by columns, use ls -c<\/code>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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ls -al<\/code> provides a list of all the files in the same directory:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Here are some additional options that I find useful and interesting:<\/p>\n\n\n\n