BEGINNER’S
LINUX CHEATSHEET
TO LAND YOUR NEXT ROLE!
BROADUS PALMER
Basic Navigation Commands
pwd
(Print Working Directory)
What it does: Shows you the folder you're
currently in.
ls
(list)
What it does:
Lists the files and folders in the current location.
Options:
ls -a: Shows hidden files (those that start with
.).
ls -l: Shows detailed information like
permissions, size, and date.
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Basic Navigation Commands
cd
(Change Directories)
What it does:
Moves you to a different folder.
Examples:
cd Documents: Go to the "Documents"
folder.
cd .. : Move up one folder level.
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File and Folder Management
mkdir
(Make Directory)
What it does:
Creates a new folder.
Example: mkdir my_folder
touch
(Touch)
What it does:
Makes a new, empty file.
Example: touch myfile.txt
cp
(Copy)
What it does:
Copies a file or folder to another location.
Examples:
cp file.txt copy_file.txt: Copies file.txt to copy_file.txt.
cp -r folder1/ folder2/: Copies everything inside folder1 to
folder2.
File and Folder Management
mv
(Move/Rename)
What it does:
Moves or renames files and folders.
Examples:
mv file.txt /home/user/: Moves file.txt to the
/home/user folder.
mv old_name.txt new_name.txt: Renames
old_name.txt to new_name.txt.
rm
(Remove)
What it does:
Deletes files or folders.
Examples:
rm file.txt: Deletes file.txt.
rm -r folder/: Deletes the folder and everything
inside it.
⚠️ Warning: Deleted files are gone for good when using
this command. No "trash" to restore from.
Viewing Content and Permissions
cat
(Concatenate and Display)
What it does:
Shows the contents of a file.
Example: cat file.txt
chmod
(Change Mode)
What it does:
Changes the permissions of a file or folder.
Example: chmod 755 file.txt
7 = full permissions (read, write, execute)
5 = read and execute only
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Permissions Breakdown
In Linux, permissions are shown as rwx (letters) or as
numbers. Here’s a simple breakdown:
Each letter represents a different type of
permission:
r = Read (can open and see the contents of a
file or folder)
w = Write (can edit or delete the file or
add/remove files from a folder)
x = Execute (can run the file if it’s a program
or script, or "enter" a folder)
If a letter is missing (like r--), it means that
permission is not allowed.
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Permissions Breakdown
Structure of Permissions
The permissions are grouped into three sets:
1. Owner (the person who created the file or
folder)
2. Group (other users in the same group as the
owner)
3. Others (everyone else)
Example
-rwxr-xr--
rwx (Owner): Read, write, and execute permissions
r-x (Group): Read and execute, but no write permission
r-- (Others): Only read permission
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Numbers for Permissions
Numbers for Permissions
Each permission has a number assigned
to it:
r (read) = 4
w (write) = 2
x (execute) = 1
- (no permission) = 0
To set permissions, you add the
numbers for the permissions you want.
Examples of Permission Numbers
0 = --- (no permissions) 4 = r-- (only read)
1 = --x (only execute) 5 = r-x (read and execute: 4 + 1)
2 = -w- (only write) 6 = rw- (read and write: 4 + 2)
3 = -wx (write and 7 = rwx (read, write, and execute:
execute: 2 + 1) 4 + 2 + 1)
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Numbers for Permissions
When you use chmod, you set permissions for
owner, group, and others in that order.
Example
chmod 755 file.txt
What it means:
7 (Owner) = rwx (full permission: 4 + 2 + 1)
5 (Group) = r-x (read and execute: 4 + 1)
5 (Others) = r-x (read and execute: 4 + 1)
Common Permission Numbers 👇🏾
777 = rwxrwxrwx (everyone has full permission)
755 = rwxr-xr-x (owner has full permission, others can only read and
execute)
700 = rwx------ (only the owner has full permission)
644 = rw-r--r-- (owner can read and write, others can only read)
600 = rw------- (only the owner can read and write, no one else can
access)
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