Getting to Know the ls Command in Linux

If you’re new to Linux, one of the very first commands you’ll come across is ls. Think of it as your “show me what’s here” command. Anytime you’re in a folder (directory), ls helps you see what files and subfolders are inside. It might seem simple at first, but once you get comfortable with its options, it becomes one of the handiest tools you’ll use every day. You can find the actual webpage here

The Basics

Just typing ls by itself will show you what’s in your current folder. For example:

ls

Documents  Downloads  Music  Pictures  notes.txt

ls

Documents  Downloads  Music  Pictures  notes.txt

Finding Hidden Files

In Linux, some files start with a dot (.) which makes them hidden. To see those, you can use the -a option:

ls -a

ls -a

Seeing More Details

Want to know more than just the names? Add the -l option (that’s a lowercase “L”):

ls -l

The output will look like this

-rw-r--r--  1 user user   1024 Sep 11 09:00 notes.txt
drwxr-xr-x  2 user user   4096 Sep 10 20:15 Documents

ls -l

The output will look like this

-rw-r--r--  1 user user   1024 Sep 11 09:00 notes.txt
drwxr-xr-x  2 user user   4096 Sep 10 20:15 Documents

Here you can see file permissions, owner, size, and the last time it was updated. It’s like switching from a simple list view to a detailed one.

Making Sizes Easier to Read

File sizes in raw bytes aren’t fun to read. Add the -h option to make them “human-readable”:

ls -lh

ls -lh

Now sizes show up as KB, MB, or GB instead of just a long number. Much nicer!

Sorting by Time

If you want to know what’s been changed most recently, try:

ls -lt

ls -lt

This sorts everything by modification time, with the newest at the top. Adding -r flips the order:

ls -ltr

ls -ltr

Great for checking what you last worked on.

Looking Inside Subfolders

Sometimes you want to peek inside all folders at once. That’s where -R comes in:

ls -R

ls -R

It will show the current folder and then keep diving into subfolders.

Mixing Options

Here’s the fun part—you can mix options together. For example:

ls -alh

ls -alh

This shows hidden files (-a), detailed info (-l), and human-friendly sizes (-h) all at once.

A Little Extra

If your terminal has colors, you might notice different colors for files, folders, and executables. If not, try:

ls -F

ls -F

This adds symbols—like / for directories and * for executables—to help you tell things apart.

Key Takeaways

The ls command is simple, but it’s also one of the most useful tools in Linux. It helps you find files, check their details, and explore your system. Once you get used to its options, you’ll probably use it without even thinking. So go ahead, open your terminal, type ls, and start exploring your Linux world!

ls Command Quick Reference

Please feel free to download this pdf for yourself, it helped me because I kept forgetting commands