Most Useful Advanced Unix Commands for File Management
Unix provides a robust set of advanced commands for efficient file management. Here
are some of the most useful ones:
cp
Copies files or directories from one location to another.
Example: cp source.txt /destination/[1][2].
mv
Moves or renames files and directories.
Example: mv oldname.txt newname.txt or mv file.txt /destination/[1][2].
rm
Removes files or directories.
Example: rm file.txt (use with caution, as deletion is permanent) [1][2].
find
Searches for files and directories based on various criteria such as name, size, or
modification date.
Example: find /path -name "*.log"[1][3].
ls
Lists files and directories, with options for detailed information and sorting.
Example: ls -l /directory/[1].
chmod
Changes file permissions, allowing you to control who can read, write, or execute files.
Example: chmod 755 script.sh[1].
chown
Changes file ownership, assigning files to a different user or group.
Example: chown user:group file.txt[1].
ln
Creates hard or symbolic links to files, useful for referencing the same file in multiple
locations.
Example: ln -s /path/to/original /path/to/link[1].
awk
Processes and analyzes text files, allowing for advanced data extraction and reporting.
Example: awk '{print $1}' file.txt[1].
sed
Performs stream editing on files, enabling automated text transformations.
Example: sed 's/old/new/g' file.txt[1].
diff, cmp, comm
Compares files to identify differences or similarities.
diff file1 file2: Shows line-by-line differences[4].
cmp file1 file2: Shows the first differing byte[4].
comm file1 file2: Compares sorted files and shows unique and common lines [4].
head and tail
Displays the beginning or end of files, useful for quickly viewing large files.
Example: head -n 20 file.txt, tail -n 20 file.txt[1][4][3].
cat
Concatenates and displays file contents, often used for viewing or combining files.
Example: cat file1.txt file2.txt > merged.txt[1].
These commands, often used in combination with pipes and filters, form the backbone of
advanced file management in Unix environments, enabling powerful and flexible
workflows[1][4][3].
1. https://www.techtarget.com/searchdatacenter/tip/Top-50-universal-Unix-commands
2. https://www.jaroeducation.com/blog/10-standard-linux-commands-for-file-management/
3. https://forstasurveys.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4409461291931-Advanced-Unix-Commands-
for-Programmers
4. https://www.digitalocean.com/community/tutorials/linux-commands