A comprehensive guide to using the ls
command, an essential tool for listing files in a folder.
The ls
command is used to display the files and directories within a folder. Here’s how you can use it:
To list all the files and directories in the current directory, simply enter:
ls
If you want to list the contents of a specific folder or path, you can specify it after the ls
command. For example:
ls /bin
The above command will display the contents of the /bin
directory.
While using the ls
command, various options can be utilized to enhance the output. One commonly used combination is -al
. Give it a try:
ls -al /bin
By using the -al
option, you’ll receive more detailed information about the listed files.
Here’s what each column represents from left to right:
- File permissions (including ACL flag, if supported by the system)
- Number of links to the file
- File owner
- File group
- File size in bytes
- File modified date and time
- File name
The -l
option generates this set of data, while the -a
option also displays hidden files.
Hidden files are files that start with a dot (.
).
Note: The
ls
command is compatible with Linux, macOS, WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), and any other UNIX-based environment.
Tags: Linux commands, ls command, file listing, terminal commands