Exploring the File System

Exploring The File System

Linux organizes everything into files and directories. By the end of this section you will be able to navigate directories and create or delete both directories and files.

How To Navigate In Linux

Connect to your Omega and open a terminal.

pwd

Use pwd (print working directory) to display your current location:

pwd

If pwd prints /, you are at the root of the filesystem. Any other path indicates a subdirectory.

ls

The ls command lists the contents of the current directory. Run it to see what lives in /:

ls

Depending on your terminal, files may be color-coded (blue for directories, green for executables, etc.). Use ls -l for a detailed listing that shows permissions and ownership.

cd

The cd command changes directories. Supply a path to move to a new location:

cd /usr/bin

Confirm the change with pwd. A few helpful variations:

Command	Description
cd	Return to the root directory.
cd ..	Move up one directory level.
cd .	Stay in the current directory.
cd -	Jump back to the previous directory.

How To Create/Delete Files And Directories

mkdir

Create directories with mkdir followed by the name or path:

mkdir NewDirectory

mkdir newdirectoryname1 newdirectoryname2 newdirectoryname3

mkdir /tmp/usr/NewDirectory

rmdir

Remove empty directories with rmdir:

rmdir DirectoryName

rmdir path/directoryname

touch

Create empty files with touch:

touch newFileName

touch path/newFileName

cat

Use cat to create a file and immediately add content:

cat newfile

After typing your content, press Ctrl+D to save. cat also prints file contents:

cat filename

cat path/filename

rm

Delete files with rm:

rm filename

rm path/filename

You now have the basics for navigating the Omega filesystem. Continue with the Redirection guide to learn how to pipe data between commands.