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Linux Navigation and File Management

Linux Navigation and File Management
Anees Asghar
Technical writer
Linux
27.01.2025
Reading time: 7 min

Navigating and manipulating files in Linux is a core concept for fluently operating the system. The terminal acts as your powerful control center, allowing you to traverse through directories, fetch files, and perform modifications. Whether you work on a local Linux installation or access a remote system via a secured SSH session, you can rely on basic commands to streamline your tasks. 

And if you’re looking for a reliable, high-performance, and budget-friendly solution for your workflows, Hostman has you covered with Linux VPS Hosting options, including Debian VPS, Ubuntu VPS, and VPS CentOS.

This tutorial will use practical examples and precise instructions to demonstrate Linux file navigation and manipulation.

Exploring Linux File Setup

Linux structures its files and directories in a hierarchical layout resembling a tree, where the root directory (/) serves as the foundation. Everything, including folders and files, branches out from this root. Below is a concise synopsis of some key directories:

Root (/)

It is the main folder where everything begins. Every other directory and file is kept inside it.

/home

This folder contains personal files for every user. For instance, if your username is hostman, files will be kept in /home/hostman.

/var

This folder keeps frequently updated files, including system logs and temporary data. Logs can be located in /var/log.

/etc

Linux preserves configuration files and system settings, including networking and account setup inside the etc directory.

File Navigation and Manipulation in Linux

Navigating and organizing files involves traversing the file system to handle files and directories. Linux commands make these tasks efficient, let you automate them, and provide you precise control, especially in non-graphical environments.

Checking Current Directory

The pwd command retrieves your current address in the file system. It's useful for identifying your position when navigating through complex directory structures:

pwd

The outcome indicates that the active directory is anees located inside the system’s home directory:

Image1

Traversing Directories

The cd utility lets us traverse distinct directories. Entering the command below will take us to the root directory:

cd /

Image3

Let’s employ cd with the tilde symbol ~ or cd without any option to traverse back to the Home Directory:

cd ~

Image2

Execute cd with the - sign to toggle between current and previous directories:

cd -

It switches us from hostmanExamples to the previous folder, i.e., hostman:

Image5

Similarly, running cd with a precise path lets us access a particular file/directory:

cd Desktop/hostman/hostmanExamples

Image4

Retrieving Directories Data

ls is a Linux utility that retrieves the folder’s data, such as files, links, and sub-folders. You can utilize distinct flags with ls to exhibit additional details like access rights, sizes, and last modified timestamps.

Let’s utilize ls without any flag to retrieve the folder’s data from the recent path:

ls

Image7

Utilizing ls with a precise path retrieves the details of that directory:

ls Desktop/hostman/

Image6

To get invisible files, utilize ls with -a flag:

ls -a

048abd61 B1ef 4d04 804e 7215ad04aa02

To demonstrate precise information, run ls followed by the -l flag:

ls -l

Image8

Returning Folder Structure

The tree command retrieves folders and files in a hierarchical tree format. To do that, utilize the syntax:

tree /directory_path

Let’s retrieve the directory structure in a tree format, with each file’s size depicted in a human-understandable structure:

tree -h

Image15

Hidden Linux Files

These files or folders initiate with a dot (.) and are invisible by default. They typically keep configuration settings or important data for applications, such as .bashrc for customizing terminal behavior or .ssh for managing secure keys. They can be viewed by utilizing the ls -a command or by enabling the "show hidden files" from the file managers. 

File Administration

Let’s study the below-listed Linux sections to handle files and directories effortlessly.

File Creation

Files are made in Linux via the touch command. It offers a simple method to make blank files. If the file is already present, touch revises the DateTime of the last change instead of generating a new file:

touch hostmanExample.txt

Image11

Folder Creation

The mkdir utility in Linux allows you to create a directory at the desired path:

mkdir hostmanFolder

It constructs a hostmanFolder in the current directory:

Image13

Re-labeling and Relocating Files

mv lets you alter the name of files or transfer them to a distinct location. To re-title a file, write the existing name followed by the desired one:

mv hostmanExample.txt hostman1.txt

This alters the name of hostmanExample.txt to hostman1.txt:

Image16

Likewise, users can transfer a file by specifying its name and the destination directory:

mv hostman1.txt /hostmanFolder

Image17

Cloning Files/Directories

To duplicate a file/folder, execute cp with the source file and the destination path:

cp graphqlFile.txt hostmanFolder

Image18

To duplicate a directory along with its contents, employ the -r (recursive) flag with cp:

cp -r graphql-examples hostmanFolder

It clones the complete graphql-examples folder with all its data to the hostmanFolder:

Image19

Deleting Files and Directories

The rm command removes files and directories eternally without sending them to the bin/trash, so use it cautiously by providing the file name:

rm graphqlFile.txt

Image20

Likewise, to trash a directory and all of its data, employ the -r flag:

rm -r hostmanFolder

Image21

For extended safety, utilize the -i flag, which asks for verification before deleting any item:

rm -ri graphql-examples

Specify y (for "yes") and press Enter to approve the removal of each file or directory. If you input n, the file or directory will not be deleted.

File Compression

Zipping files is vital for sharing data, and organizing files and storage space. To accomplish this, Linux utilizes tools like gzip and bzip2

gzip is a widely employed tool for compressing files. It decreases the file size while retaining the original data. Let’s employ gzip to compress the hostmanExample.txt file:

gzip hostmanExample.txt

The command compresses the original file (overrides the actual file):

Image22

Similarly, users can execute gzip with -d flag to decompress a compressed file:

gzip -d hostmanExample.txt.gz

Image23

Users can employ the -k flag to compress a file without overriding the original one:

gzip -k hostmanExample.txt

Image9

File Archiving

File archiving refers to the method of grouping multiple files and directories together into one unified archive file. This practice makes it easier to share, compress, and manage large data by consolidating various items into a single, organized package. For this purpose, we can utilize the tar command:

tar -cvf hostman.tar hostmanExample.txt hostman1.txt hostmanDir/

By default, it makes an archive without compression, which contains hostmanExample.txt and hostman1.txt files and a hostmanDir directory:

Image12

To assemble a compressed archive, we can define the compression format such as z for gzip and j for bzip2:

tar -czvf hostman1.tar.gz hostmanExample.txt hostman1.txt hostmanDir/

Image14

Similarly, users can extract the archived data by executing the tar command with the -x flag:

tar -xvf hostman.tar

To extract a gzip or bzip2-compressed archives, use the -z or -j flags respectively:

tar -xzvf hostman1.tar.gz

Navigating with Shortkeys

Shortcut keys can save time and make command-line navigation more efficient:

  • Use cd - to switch to the previous directory.
  • Run cd .. to steer one directory up.
  • Execute cd ~ to return to the home folder.
  • Press Ctrl + A to leap to the left-most (beginning) of the command line.
  • Press Ctrl + E to leap to the right-most (end) of the command line.
  • Hit Tab to auto-complete file or folder names.

Gaining proficiency in these fundamental shortcut keys will simplify and enhance your experience with Linux file management.

Conclusion

In this write-up, we wrapped the essential techniques for navigating and handling files in Linux. We examined how to switch between directories and depict their data. We also examined the creation, deletion, renaming, and relocation of files and directories. Additionally, we explored invisible files, their functionality, and methods to handle them. Mastering these core skills will make working with Linux more easily and effectively.

Linux
27.01.2025
Reading time: 7 min

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For instance, to duplicate a folder named 'Pictures' from the existing directory to a folder named 'Photos' in the home directory, try the following command: cp -r Pictures/ ~/Photos/ The destination folder will be created automatically if none exists. The files in the destination folder will be combined with the core of the source folder if one already exists. The cp -a feature in Linux leaves unchanged the initial file attributes while copying. Therefore, the duplicates will have the same parameters as their originals. For instance, to replicate a file named 'example.txt' to the 'Documents' directory while leaving unchanged its attributes, try the following command: cp -a example.txt Documents/ The Linux cp -v function showcases the progress of the duplication. At the same time the user can copy large files while monitoring the process. For instance, to replicate a file named 'largefile.zip' to the 'Downloads' directory while watching the progress, try the following command: cp -v largefile.zip Downloads/ The -i option requires the consent before overwriting an initial file. to protect against an accidental file rewriting. For instance, to duplicate a file named 'example.txt' to the 'Documents' directory, if a file with the identical name already exists, the cp command will require the consent before rewriting the original file. Initially, the Linux cp command copies a file or a directory to a default location. The system allows the user to specify any other location for the duplicate file or directory. For instance, to replicate a file named 'example.txt' from the 'Documents' directory to the 'Downloads' directory, try the following command: cp Documents/example.txt Downloads/ The cp -ra function in Linux is designed to carry out the copying process of directories with all their contents inside. The -r flag gives an order to repeat all the files and directories within an existing location, while the -a flag keeps the initial attributes preserved. Therefore, it is possible to make an exact duplicate of a directory without changing attributes. For instance, if you apply the command cp -ra /home/user1/documents /home/user2, it will replicate the 'documents' directory with all its entities inside in the 'user2' directory. The new folder will show the identical attributes as the initial item. The cp -rf feature in Linux is similar to the previous -ra option. The difference between these two functions is that the -f flag rewrites the given files or directories in the destination without requiring consent. Therefore, it is possible to update or replace an item with the identical name in the place of destination. For instance, if you apply the command cp -rf /home/user1/documents /home/user2, and there is already a 'documents' directory in the 'user2' directory, it will be overwritten with the contents of the 'documents' directory from the 'user1' directory. Be careful while utilizing the -rf function. Incorrect use of it leads to data loss. Check up twice the destination folder to avoid unwanted rewriting items. It is simpler to work with files and directories when you use Linux's cp -r capability with the -a and -f settings. Whereas the -rf particle modifies or replaces files and directories, the -ra particle precisely copies a directory and everything within it. You can learn how to handle stuff in this operating system by properly applying these differences. If you want to monitor and control the process of item duplication, which is not possible with other parameters of the cp command, use the -pv utility. 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For instance, to replicate a folder named 'Documents' from the root directory to a folder named 'Backup' in the home directory, try the following action: cp -r Documents/ ~/Backup/ | pv Example of executed Linux cp command Conclusion The cp command, although not an inherently difficult tool to learn, nevertheless provides basic knowledge of using the Linux operating system in terms of managing files and directories. In this tutorial, we tried to show the capabilities of the cp command in Linux from all sides, demonstrating best practices and useful tips of its various parameters. With new knowledge, you will be able to improve your skills in interacting with files and directories in Linux. The extreme accuracy of the copying process and additional options allow you to solve a wide range of problems. Multifunctionality helps users choose the file management mode and complete tasks efficiently. The command is a prime example of the many capabilities of this operating system, including the cp with progress feature in Linux. Altogether they unlock a potential of the system for novice and advanced users.
22 August 2025 · 9 min to read

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