Useful Linux Commands For Beignners

With so many commands it’s hard to even know where to start. Here’s a list of very useful commands for those’s who are starting to learn.

1. Touch – Create A File

Touch is a command for updating the timestamp on a file, but I find useful to just make a new file.

2. Nano – Easy to use Text Editor

Nano is a simple easy to use text editor for the terminal. To run type nano and to quit use ctrl+X.

3. Top – Process Manager

The top command program, updates in real-time and shows what process that are currently running. Type Top While Tops running try pressing shift+? to find what commands you can use.

There’s also another version of top which has more visuals and colors called htop.

4. Xkill – Close Any Window Program

Very useful command if you want to end a program that crashed. Type xkill in the terminal, the cursor will change to an X, and click on the window you want to go close.

5. Ifconfig

Ifconfig is an easy way to configure and sees the status of your current network interfaces. running if without any parameters it will give status and listings of all the interfaces on the computer.

6. Netstat

Netstat is useful for finding out what’s connected to your computer and ports. There’s are many parameters to netstat and one very useful, is “netstat -nat”. This will show you what ports are open and what’s connected.

7. Nmap

Nmap is a useful command for finding open ports or finding devices on a network.

10. Shred
This useful command makes sure whatever you erased stays that way. It will override a file 3 times with random data to making the data unrecoverable. It can even be used to erase disk drives even.

11. Man

There’s a lot these commands can do but it’s more than a single page could hold. With that in mind, I like to teach you the “man” command. It’s short for manual and will give details and how to use any command.
just type “man” then space the command you want to learn about.