CentOS Commands Notes for System and Network Administrators

This document provides a detailed and comprehensive guide to Linux commands for CentOS,
organized from basic to advanced, tailored for system administrators and network administrators.
Each command includes its description, syntax, and examples.

1. Basic Commands

File and Directory Management

Command Description Syntax Example

ls Lists files and directories ls [options] [path] ls -l /var/log

cd Changes the current directory cd [directory] cd /etc

pwd Prints the current working pwd pwd

directory

mkdir Creates a new directory mkdir mkdir /backup

[directory_name]

rmdir Removes empty directories rmdir rmdir /backup

[directory_name]

rm Removes files or directories rm [options] [file/dir] rm -rf /tmp/testdir

cp Copies files or directories cp [source] cp /etc/fstab

[destination] /backup/fstab.bak

mv Moves or renames files or mv [source] mv /tmp/test.txt

directories [destination] /home/user/test.txt

find Searches for files in a find [path] [options] find /var -name '*.log'
directory hierarchy

touch Creates an empty file or touch [file] touch /tmp/newfile

updates its timestamp

stat Displays detailed information stat [file] stat /etc/passwd

about a file

cat Displays file content cat [file] cat /etc/hosts

less Displays file content one page less [file] less /var/log/messages
at a time

head Displays the first few lines of a head [options] [file] head -n 10
file /var/log/messages

tail Displays the last few lines of a tail [options] [file] tail -f /var/log/messages
file

2. User Management
 Command Description Syntax Example

whoami Displays the current logged-in whoami whoami

user

id Displays user ID and group id [username] id root

information

adduser Adds a new user adduser [username] adduser admin

passwd Changes the user password passwd [username] passwd admin

usermod Modifies user account settings usermod [options] usermod -aG wheel
[username] admin

userdel Deletes a user userdel [username] userdel testuser

groups Displays groups a user belongs groups [username] groups admin

to

su Switches to another user su [username] su root

sudo Executes commands with root sudo [command] sudo yum update
privileges

3. File Permissions and Ownership

Command Description Syntax Example

chmod Changes file permissions chmod [permissions] chmod 755 script.sh

[file]

chown Changes ownership of a file or chown [user:group] chown admin:admin

directory [file] file.txt

chgrp Changes group ownership of a file chgrp [group] [file] chgrp developers
or directory file.txt

umask Sets default permissions for new umask [permissions] umask 022
files

4. Process Management

Command Description Syntax Example

ps Displays active processes ps [options] ps aux

top Shows dynamic real-time processes top top

htop Interactive process viewer (install htop htop

required)

kill Terminates a process by PID kill [PID] kill 1234

 killall Terminates processes by name killall [process_name] killall httpd

nice Sets process priority nice [priority] nice -n 10

[command] ./long_task.sh

renice Changes priority of a running renice [priority] [PID] renice 15 1234

process

bg Resumes a suspended job in the bg [job_id] bg 1

background

fg Brings a background job to the fg [job_id] fg 1

foreground

5. Network Administration

Command Description Syntax Example

ip Displays and configures IP ip [options] ip addr show

addresses and routes

ifconfig Legacy network configuration ifconfig ifconfig eth0

tool [interface]

ping Tests connectivity to a host ping [options] ping google.com

[hostname]

traceroute Displays route packets take to traceroute traceroute google.com

a host [hostname]

netstat Displays network connections netstat [options] netstat -tuln

ss Displays network connections ss [options] ss -tuln

(recommended)

curl Transfers data from or to a curl [options] curl https://example.com

server [URL]

wget Downloads files from the wget [options] wget

internet [URL] https://example.com/file.tar.gz

nmcli Configures NetworkManager nmcli [options] nmcli device status

6. Disk Management

Command Description Syntax Example

df Displays disk usage df [options] df -h

du Displays directory or file size du [options] [path] du -sh /var/log

mount Mounts a filesystem mount [options] mount /dev/sda1

[device] /mnt
 umount Unmounts a filesystem umount [mount_point] umount /mnt

lsblk Lists block devices lsblk lsblk

blkid Displays information about block blkid [device] blkid /dev/sda1

devices

parted Manages disk partitions parted [device] parted /dev/sda

fdisk Interactive disk partitioning tool fdisk [device] fdisk /dev/sda

7. Package Management

Command Description Syntax Example

yum Installs, updates, and removes yum [options] yum install httpd
packages [package]

dnf Modern replacement for yum dnf [options] dnf install nginx
[package]

rpm Manages RPM packages rpm [options] rpm -ivh

[package] package.rpm

8. Firewall Management

Command Description Syntax Example

firewall-cmd Configures firewalld firewall-cmd [options] firewall-cmd --add-

(used for dynamic port=8080/tcp --permanent
firewall
management)

iptables Legacy firewall iptables [options] iptables -L

configuration tool

nft Manages rules using nft [options] nft list ruleset

nftables (modern
replacement for
iptables)

ufw Simple firewall ufw [options] ufw allow 22

management tool
(must be installed)

firewall-cmd Reloads firewalld to firewall-cmd --reload firewall-cmd --reload

--reload apply changes

firewall-cmd Lists all active firewall firewall-cmd --list-all firewall-cmd --list-all

--list-all rules
 firewall-cmd Adds a service to the firewall-cmd --add- firewall-cmd --add-
--add- firewall (e.g., http, service=http --permanent service=http --permanent &&
service https) firewall-cmd --reload

iptables- Saves the current iptables-save > iptables-save >

save iptables configuration /etc/sysconfig/iptables /etc/sysconfig/iptables
to a file

iptables- Restores iptables iptables-restore < iptables-restore <

restore configuration from a /etc/sysconfig/iptables /etc/sysconfig/iptables
file

9. Service Management

Command Description Syntax Example

systemctl Controls the systemd services systemctl [options] systemctl start

and units [service] httpd

systemctl start Starts a specified service systemctl start systemctl start

[service] nginx

systemctl stop Stops a specified service systemctl stop systemctl stop

[service] nginx

systemctl Restarts a specified service systemctl restart systemctl restart

restart [service] sshd

systemctl reload Reloads the configuration of a systemctl reload systemctl reload

service [service] httpd

systemctl status Displays the status of a service systemctl status systemctl status
[service] mariadb

systemctl Enables a service to start at boot systemctl enable systemctl enable

enable [service] firewalld

systemctl Disables a service from starting systemctl disable systemctl disable

disable at boot [service] firewalld

systemctl is- Checks if a service is active systemctl is-active systemctl is-active

active [service] httpd

systemctl is- Checks if a service is enabled at systemctl is-enabled systemctl is-

enabled boot [service] enabled sshd

journalctl Views logs managed by systemd journalctl [options] journalctl -u nginx

chkconfig Legacy tool for managing chkconfig [options] chkconfig --list

services at run levels [service]

service Legacy command to manage service [service] service httpd

system services [action] restart