Linux Commands Reference
A searchable, categorized reference of essential Linux commands. Each command includes syntax, flags, and practical examples.
Why use a Linux Commands Reference?
Linux is the operating system that powers the vast majority of web servers, cloud infrastructure, and DevOps toolchains. Whether you're a developer who SSHs into servers occasionally or a sysadmin who lives in the terminal, having a searchable, categorised command reference at your fingertips reduces time spent on man pages. This reference covers 60+ commands across files, text, process, network, disk, system, packages, and archives. Related: port reference, HTTP status codes, and cron builder.
Search & filter
Search across command names, descriptions, and example flags simultaneously — or filter by category to narrow your scope.
Copy examples
Every command includes a practical example you can copy with one click and adapt for your real use case.
8 categories
Commands are organised by workflow: Files, Text, Process, Network, Disk, System, Packages, and Archives.
Essential Linux commands by workflow
These are the most reached-for commands in each category — bookmark this page for your daily server work.
| Workflow | Key commands | Use case |
|---|---|---|
| File operations | ls, cp, mv, rm, find, chmod | Navigate, copy, move, delete, and permission-manage files |
| Process management | ps, kill, systemctl, journalctl | View, stop, restart, and monitor running processes and services |
| Networking | curl, ping, ss, dig, ssh, rsync | Test connectivity, inspect sockets, transfer files over SSH |
| Disk & storage | df, du, lsblk, mount | Check disk usage, list block devices, mount filesystems |
| Text processing | grep, sed, awk, tail, sort | Search logs, transform text streams, sort and aggregate data |