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Terminal basics

The following commands provide a solid foundation for navigating and working within a Linux terminal environment, particularly in the context of AI-LAB. Familiarize yourself with these commands to enhance your productivity and efficiency when using the platform. You can also look at this basic course to the shell at: https://linuxjourney.com/lesson/the-shell.


  • pwd: Displays the current directory path.
  • ls: Shows the files and directories in the current location.
  • cd [directory_name]: Change to a directory within the current directory.
  • cd /path/to/directory: Change to an absolute directory path.
  • cd ..: Move up one directory level.
  • cd ~: Move to the home directory.
  • cd -: Return to the previous directory.

File Management Commands:

  • mkdir [directory_name]: Create a directory with a specific name.
  • rmdir [directory_name]: Remove a directory.
  • touch [file_name]: Create a file with a specific name.
  • cp [source] [destination]: Copy a file or directory from the source to the destination.
  • mv [source] [destination]: Move a file or directory to a new location or rename it.
  • rm [file_name]: Remove a file.
  • rm -r [directory_name]: Remove a directory and its contents recursively.

Text Editing Commands:

  • nano [file_name]: Open a file for editing.
    • Ctrl + O: Saving a File.
    • Ctrl + X: Exit Nano.
  • vim [file_name]: Open a file for editing.
    • :q: Exit Vim.
    • :wq: Exit and save Vim.
    • i: Enter insert mode, where you can type to insert or edit text. Press Esc to exit insert mode.

Other Useful Commands:

  • cat [file_name]: Display the contents of a file.
  • grep [pattern] [file_name]: Search for a specific pattern within a file.
  • man [command_name]: Access the manual pages for a specific command.
  • history: Display command history.