Here are the Top Linux Commands Every Developer Must Know

Written By Ananya Kandpal

Published On July 3, 2025

Reading time: 9 minutes

Summary: This blog is powered by Net2Secure and offers a complete guide to the top 20+ Linux commands each developer should know. From basic file navigation to process management and data handling, the blog describes each command. It also covers the significance of Linux, its real-world usage, and ends with frequently asked interview questions to assist readers in fostering their foundational knowledge.

Suppose you are a developer who is working late, debugging an issue on a remote server. The application has crashed, logs are scattered, and there’s no shiny interface to help you out. Only a blinking cursor is waiting for your next move. 

What should you do in such a situation? In this situation, you need to know the right Linux command. This is the vast world of development, where speed, accuracy, and control make the difference between fixing an issue in seconds. Linux commands give you that control. They allow you to navigate the file system like a pro, manage processes, observe performance, control permissions, and automate tasks all from the terminal. 

In this blog post, we are going to discuss the top 25+ Linux Commands every developer and beginner should know. Understanding these commands is not only beneficial to survive but also to thrive in any development environment. No matter if you are writing code, deploying applications, or managing servers, all these commands play a significant role.

Linux Explained

Linux refers to one of the most prominent operating systems for servers, mobile phones, supercomputers, and personal machines. The fact that it is open-source and fully free is what makes it separate from other operating systems. An operating system is crucial to a computer system because it handles hardware resources and manages all operations, such as running software. 

After Microsoft Windows and iOS versions, Linux OS versions are the primary option for users globally who use open-source software. Before going ahead with this post, let me ask you a question. Do you understand open-source software? If so, that’s good to know, and if not, here you can understand what it is. 

Open-Source Software- What is it?Software with source code that any user can easily view and change is known as open source. Almost all open-source software is free to the public. Proprietary software is the inverse of open-source software because it is owned by an individual entity and licensed to those who want to prefer it.

Usage of Linux

As discussed, Linux is a well-known platform for organizations hosting data, services, or applications securely. You can also utilize its desktop environment on personal computers. Here are some use cases of Linux. 

• Server Applications: It is suitable for operating web servers, file servers, database servers, and other shared servers that need high-volume support.

• Software Development: Linux open-source software development tools are famous among enterprise-level businesses. They vastly used the version control system Git was developed by its creator.

• Cloud Computing: Its highly scalable nature makes it a perfect OS for cloud infrastructure.

• Game Development: Linux can be installed on different platforms, like mobile devices and video game consoles.

Use of Linux Commands

Linux commands belong to the Unix command or can be said to be a shell procedure. They are the general tools used to interact with Linux on an individual level. These commands are used to perform a variety of tasks, such as presenting information about the files and directories. 

The Linux operating system is used on servers, desktops, and maybe even your smartphone. It has a lot of command-line tools that can be used for virtually everything on the system. 

Top 25+ Linux Commands

Let’s look at the commonly used Linux commands and their examples for system administration. 

1. Is Command: The Is Command lists the content of a folder, as well as files and directories. 

   ls [options] [directory_or_path]

   If you erase the path, the Is command will check the content of your present directory. To list items inside subfolders, add the -R option; meanwhile, use -a to show hidden content.
2. pwd command: To check the complete path of your current working directory, use the pwd command.
   
   

   pwd [options] 

   
   
   

   The pwd command has only two options. The -L option prints the environment variable content, such as shortcuts, instead of the actual path of your current location. Meanwhile, -P outputs the accurate location. 

   For instance, /shortcut/folder is a shortcut for /actual/path, and you are currently in /actual/path/dir. If you prefer the -L option, the output will be: 
   
   

   /shortcut/folder/dir

   
   
   Meanwhile, the -P option will print the accurate canonical path:
   
   

   /actual/path/dir

   
   
   

3. cd command: Use the cd command to navigate between directories in your Linux VPS. It doesn’t have any options, and the syntax is simple:
   
   

   cd [path_or_directory]

   
   
   
4. mkdir command: The mkdir command lets you create one or various directories. The syntax is presented like this:
   
   

   mkdir [options] directory_name1 directory_name2 

   
   
   
5. rmdir command: Apply rmdir to delete empty directories in your Linux system. The command syntax looks like:
   
   

   rmdir [options] directory_name 

   
   
   
6. rm command: The rm command deletes files from a directory.
   
   

   rm [options] file1 file2

   
   
   
7. cp command: Apply the cp command to copy files from your current directory to another folder.
   
   

   cp file1 file2 [target_path] 

   
   
   
8. mv command: The main significance of the mv command is to move a file or folder to another location.
   
   

   mv file_or_directory [target_directory] 

   
   
   
9. touch command: Apply the touch command to create a new empty file in a specific directory.
   
   

   touch [options] [path_and_file_name]

   
   
   

10. file command: The file command checks a file type, like TXT, PDF, or others. 
    
    

    file [file_name]

    
    
    
11. zip and unzip commands: The zip command compresses one or multiple files into a ZIP archive, decreasing their size.
    
    

    zip [options] zip_file_name file1 file2

    
    
    
12. tar command: The tar command bundles various files or directories into an archive without compression.
    
    

    tar [options] tar_file_name file1 file2

    
    
    
13. cat command: The concatenate or cat command has different usages. The most basic one is printing the content of a file.
    
    

    cat file_name 

    
    
    
14. grep command: Global regular expression print or grep lets you search particular lines from a file using keywords. It is beneficial for filtering large data, like logs.
    
    

    grep [options] keyword [file]

    
    
    
15. sed command: Use the sed command to search and replace patterns in files instantly. 
    
    

    sed [options] 'subcommand/new_pattern/target_pattern' input_file

    
    
    
16. head command: Use the head command to print the first few entries of a file.
    
    

    head [options] file_name 

    
    
    
17. tail command: The tail command is the opposite of head, enabling you to print the last few lines from files or another utility’s output.
    
    

    tail [options] file_name 

    
    
    

    command | tail [options]

    
    
    
18. awk command: The awk command searches and handles continuous expression patterns in a file.
    
    

    awk '/regex pattern/{action}' input_file.txt

    
    
    
19. sort command: Use this command to rearrange a file’s content in a specific order.
    
    

    sort [options] [file_name] 

    
    
    
20. cut command: The cut command considers specific sections from a file and prints them as Terminal output.
    
    

    cut options file

    
    
    
21. locate command: The locate command searches for a file and prints its location path.
    
    

    locate [options] [keyword] 

    
    
    

Conclusion

Linux commands allow system administrators to handle their servers effectively. They offer potential like scripting, variables, and automation that a graphical user interface needs to improve. 

In this blog post, we have mentioned the top 20+ commonly used Linux commands. These will be crucial for different tasks, like file management, user administration, navigation, and network configuration.

Frequently Asked Linux Interview Questions

Ques1. What is Linux?

Ans. Linux refers to an operating system that is based on the Linux Kernel. It is an open-source system that can be used with multiple hardware platforms. Being an open-source, it offers a free and low-cost operating system for users. Apart from that, it’s a completely user-friendly environment where you can easily modify and create variations in the source code.

Ques2. What are the significant features of the Linux OS?

Ans. The key features of Linux are that it is open-source, which enables users to access, modify, and distribute the source code freely. Moreover, it has a modular architecture, security features such as user permissions and access controls, networking support, and a command-line interface.

Ques3. What is the invention source of Linux?

Ans. Linus Torvalds created Linux. He was a student at the University of Helsinki, Finland, in 1991. He started writing code on his own to get the academic version of Unix for free of cost. After a time, it became famous as the Linux Kernel.

Ques4. What is the difference between Linux and Unix?

Ans.

Ques5. What is the Linux Kernel?

Ans. The Linux Kernel is generally the cornerstone of the operating system. It works as a bridge between software and hardware. If the software requests the hardware, then the kernel offers the data between the software and hardware. In simple words, the hardware and software components communicate with each other through the kernel.

Ques6. What is BASH?

Ans. Bash is generally a Unix shell and command processor written by Brian Fox for the GNU project. It is a free software and acts as a substitute for Bourne Shell. It is an interpreted and not compiled process, which can also be run in the terminal window.