Terminal Cheat Sheet

Last updated May 27, 2026

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Move around the filesystem and see where you are.

Command	What it does
`pwd`	Print the current working directory
`ls`	List files in the current directory
`ls -la`	List all files (including hidden) with details
`cd dir`	Change into `dir`
`cd ..`	Go up one directory
`cd ~`	Go to your home directory
`cd -`	Go back to the previous directory
`tree`	Show the directory tree (if installed)

Files & directories

Create, copy, move, and delete files and folders.

Command	What it does
`touch file.txt`	Create an empty file (or update its timestamp)
`mkdir dir`	Create a directory
`mkdir -p a/b/c`	Create nested directories, no error if they exist
`cp src dst`	Copy a file
`cp -r src dst`	Copy a directory recursively
`mv src dst`	Move or rename a file
`rm file`	Delete a file
`rm -r dir`	Delete a directory and its contents
`rm -rf dir`	Force-delete recursively (no prompt - careful)

Viewing files

Print or page through file contents.

Command	What it does
`cat file`	Print the whole file
`less file`	Scroll through a file page by page (`q` to quit)
`head file`	Show the first 10 lines
`head -n 20 file`	Show the first 20 lines
`tail file`	Show the last 10 lines
`tail -f log`	Follow a file as new lines are appended
`wc -l file`	Count the number of lines

Searching

Find files by name and search inside their contents.

Command	What it does
`grep "text" file`	Find lines matching `text` in a file
`grep -r "text" .`	Search recursively from the current directory
`grep -i "text" file`	Case-insensitive search
`grep -n "text" file`	Show matching line numbers
`find . -name "*.js"`	Find files by name pattern
`find . -type d`	Find only directories
`find . -size +1M`	Find files larger than 1 MB

Pipes & redirection

Combine commands and control where their input and output go.

Command	What it does
`cmd1 \| cmd2`	Pipe the output of `cmd1` into `cmd2`
`cmd > file`	Redirect output to a file (overwrites it)
`cmd >> file`	Append output to a file
`cmd < file`	Read input from a file
`cmd 2> errors.txt`	Redirect only error output (stderr)
`cmd > out.txt 2>&1`	Send both output and errors to one file
`cmd \| tee file`	Print output and write it to a file at once
`ls \| grep .txt`	Example: list files, keep only the `.txt` ones

Permissions

Change who can read, write, or run a file.

Command	What it does
`ls -l`	Show permissions, owner, and size of each file
`chmod +x script.sh`	Make a file executable
`chmod 644 file`	Set rw-r--r-- (owner writes, others read)
`chmod 755 file`	Set rwxr-xr-x (owner all, others read/run)
`chown user file`	Change the file's owner
`chown user:group file`	Change owner and group
`sudo cmd`	Run a command as the superuser

Process control

Inspect, pause, and stop running programs.

Command	What it does
`ps aux`	List all running processes
`top`	Live view of processes and resource usage
`kill PID`	Send a terminate signal to a process by ID
`kill -9 PID`	Force-kill a process
`cmd &`	Run a command in the background
`jobs`	List background jobs in this shell
`fg`	Bring a background job to the foreground
`bg`	Resume a suspended job in the background

History & shortcuts

Recall past commands and control the current one.

Command	What it does
`history`	Show recently run commands
`!!`	Re-run the previous command
`!42`	Re-run command number 42 from history
`Ctrl+R`	Search backward through command history
`Ctrl+C`	Cancel the running command
`Ctrl+Z`	Suspend the running command
`Ctrl+L`	Clear the screen (same as `clear`)
`Ctrl+A` / `Ctrl+E`	Jump to start / end of the line

Environment & misc

Variables, locating commands, and getting help.

Command	What it does
`echo $HOME`	Print an environment variable
`export VAR=value`	Set an environment variable for this session
`which python`	Show the full path of a command
`man ls`	Open the manual page for a command
`ls --help`	Show quick usage for a command
`alias ll="ls -la"`	Create a shortcut for a command
`clear`	Clear the terminal screen

Every command you reach for at the prompt, on one page. This terminal cheat sheet is a quick reference for the interactive shell - moving around the filesystem, working with files, wiring commands together with pipes and redirection, and managing running processes.

The commands here are standard on bash and zsh, so they work the same on Linux and macOS. Copy what you need, or try them live in the terminal playground - a real shell in your browser, nothing to install.

Terminal cheat sheet FAQ

Is this terminal cheat sheet free?

Yes. This terminal cheat sheet is completely free, with no sign-up required. Bookmark it and come back whenever you need to look up a command, flag, or shortcut.

What shell is this cheat sheet for - bash or zsh?

Both. The commands here are part of the standard Unix toolset and behave the same in bash and zsh, which are the default shells on Linux and macOS. zsh adds extra features like smarter tab completion, but everything on this page works in either shell, and most of it also works in other POSIX shells.

What does the pipe | do?

A pipe sends the output of one command straight into the next command as its input, so you can chain small tools into a pipeline. For example, ls | grep .txt lists files and then filters that list to only the names containing .txt - no temporary file needed.

Can I practice these terminal commands online?

Yes. Open the terminal playground to run any command from this cheat sheet in a real shell in your browser - nothing to install. When you want structure, Coddy's free interactive terminal course walks you from navigation to pipes and process control step by step.

Is this cheat sheet good for beginners?

Yes. It is organized from the most common tasks (navigation and files) down to advanced ones (process control and environment variables), so you can use the top sections on day one and grow into the rest.