Linux might sound scary for first-time Linux users, but actually, it isn’t. Linux is a bunch of open-source Unix operating systems based on Linux Kernel. These operating systems are called Linux distributions, such as Fedora, Debian, Ubuntu, and Mint.

Since its inception in 1991, Linux has garnered popularity for being open-source. People can modify and redistribute Linux under their own brand. When using a Linux OS, you need a shell to access the services provided. Also, it’s recommended to run your Linux OS through a CLI or command-line interface. CLI makes time-consuming processes quicker.

This article presents a guide to 7 important Linux commands for every Linux user to know. So, let’s begin.

cat Command

cat is the shortened form of “concatenate”. It’s a frequently used multi-purpose Linux command. This command is used to create, display, and copy a file content on the standard output.

Syntax

cat [OPTION]... [FILE]..

To create a file, type:

cat >   

// Enter file content

To save the file created, press Ctrl+D. And to display the file content, execute:

cat 

cd Command

The cd command is used to navigate through the directories and files in Linux. It needs either the entire path or the directory name depending on the current directory.

Syntax

cd [Options] [Directory]

Suppose you’re in /home/username/Documents. You want to navigate to a subdirectory of Documents which is Photos. To do that, execute:

cd Photos

To move to an entirely different directory, type cd and then the directory’s absolute path.

cd /home/username/Movies

The above command will switch to /home/username/Movies. Apart from this, the commands, cd.., cd, and cd- are used to move one directory up, to go to the home folder, and to go to the previous directory respectively.

Reminder: Linux’s shell is case-sensitive. So, make sure you type the name’s directory as it is.

echo Command

The echo command displays a line of text or string passed as an argument. It’s used for the purpose of debugging shell programs in the Linux terminal.

Syntax

echo [Option] [String]

Other examples of the echo command are:

• echo "String": This displays the string within the quotes.

• echo -e "Learn \nBy \nDoing": Here the ‘-e’ tag allows the echo command to understand the backslash escape sequences in the argument.