This page covers frequently used Bash commands for moving around the filesystem and managing files and directories.

Navigation Commands

Command	Purpose	Example
pwd	Show current directory	pwd
ls	List directory contents	ls -la
cd	Change directory	cd /var/log
pushd	Save current directory and move	pushd /etc
popd	Return to previous directory	popd

File and Directory Commands

Command	Purpose	Example
mkdir	Create directory	mkdir -p ./build/output
cp	Copy files or directories	cp -r ./src ./backup/src
mv	Move or rename files	mv old.txt new.txt
rm	Remove files or directories	rm -rf ./temp
touch	Create file or update timestamp	touch notes.txt

Inspecting File Content

Command	Purpose	Example
cat	Print full file content	cat config.env
less	Page through file content	less /var/log/syslog
head	Show first lines	head -n 20 script.sh
tail	Show last lines	tail -n 50 app.log
wc	Count lines/words/bytes	wc -l app.log

Safe Usage Tips

1. Use ls -la before deleting files in unfamiliar directories.
2. Use cp -i and mv -i when overwriting is risky.
3. Prefer rm -r over rm -rf unless you are certain.
4. Validate paths with pwd and realpath before destructive commands.