The Linux ls command is, in its most basic form, similar to the dir command in that it provides a listing of a folder/ directory.
ls
Enter ls to receive a simple listing of the current directory's files and folders. Here it shows files test3.txt and test4.txt
Use the following command to obtain a listing of the parent directory.
ls ..
Here we see two files and a folder named "holds' The ls command shows files in white and the directory in blue to make it easier to understand.
Use the following command to obtain a listing of the root directory.
ls /
Here we see the complete listing of the root directory. ls shows symbolic links in bold cyan. The writable directory tmp is shown in blue with a green background.
The following command shows the contents of your home directory.
ls ~
In this case it contains just one file nohup.out
Use the following to obtain an easily readable listing of the contents of a directory with their sizes.
ls -sh
In the example the files are both 4.0k in size.
Use the following for a detailed listing of the directory's contents.
ls -l
This shows the date, access permissions, owner etc. of each file or directory
Here are some other useful ways to utilize the ls command.
Command | Meaning |
|---|---|
ls -d */ | Only list directories/folders |
ls -R | List files and directories including the contents of those directories. |
ls -a | List all files, directories and hidden files. |
ls -t | List contents in last modified date order. |
ls -S | List contents in order of size. |
ls -r | List contents in reverse order. The r can also be added to other commands such as size or date. |
ls ------ version | Show which version of the ls command your computer is using. |
ls ------ help | Show ls help pages. |
The ls command is at its best when you have learned to combine the assorted options to obtain the output that is most useful to you.