Let’s face it: if you're writing code and not using Linux (or at least the terminal), you’re missing out on half the developer experience — the half where you actually feel like a hacker from a ‘90s movie.

Whether you’re deploying, debugging, or just flexing in front of your coworkers, these Linux commands are essential tools in your utility belt.

🧠 pwd — Print Working Directory

Translation: “Where the heck am I?”

pwd

This one tells you your current location in the filesystem jungle. Like GPS, but for your terminal.

📂 ls — List Directory Contents

Translation: “Show me what’s in this folder.”

ls
ls -la

Add -l for detailed info and -a to uncover hidden treasures (.env, .git, .Iforgotaboutthis).

🚪 cd — Change Directory

Translation: “Get me out of here.”

cd /path/to/destination
cd ~  # Go to home
cd -  # Go back

Essential for moving around like a pro instead of exiting the terminal and opening File Explorer like a peasant.

🔥 rm — Remove Files or Directories

Translation: “Delete like you mean it.”

rm file.txt
rm -r folder/
rm -rf /  # Don’t. Ever.

The -r flag removes folders recursively. -f makes it ruthless. Combining both is like giving your terminal a bazooka.

🧹 mkdir & rmdir — Make / Remove Directory 

mkdir new_folder
rmdir old_folder

Simple yet essential. mkdir -p even creates nested directories like a boss:

mkdir -p projects/nextjs/my-awesome-app

📝 touch — Create an Empty File 

touch newfile.txt

No need to open VS Code just to create a file. touch and go!

🔍 grep — Search Through Files

Translation: “Ctrl + F for the terminal.”

grep 'TODO' *.js

Search for specific text patterns. Super useful when your codebase has more bugs than features.

🪓 chmod — Change File Permissions 

chmod +x script.sh

Grants execution rights. Because not all heroes wear capes; some just need the right permissions.

🏃 ./ — Run Executables 

./myscript.sh

If you wrote a script but the terminal says “permission denied,” check your chmod (see above). Once executable, this is how you run it.

🦸 sudo — SuperUser Do

Translation: “I know what I’m doing... probably.”

sudo apt-get update

Gives you superpowers. Use wisely, or you might brick your OS and end up spending the weekend reinstalling Linux.

🌐 curl — Transfer Data from URLs 

curl https://api.example.com/data

Download files, test APIs, or pretend you're working on your terminal when you're actually sending cat GIFs.

💣 kill & killall — Stop Processes 

kill 
killall node

When Ctrl + C just isn’t enough, kill is the polite way to ask processes to die. killall... well, does what the name says.

🧪 top / htop — Monitor Processes 

top
htop

Real-time view of CPU and memory usage. htop is the cool, colorful cousin of top. Install it, thank me later.

📦 tar — Archive and Extract Files 

tar -czvf archive.tar.gz folder/
tar -xzvf archive.tar.gz

Because zipping and unzipping files shouldn’t require dragging anything.

🧾 man — Manual Pages 

man ls

Lost? Confused? Broken? Type man + command and let the terminal's ancient wisdom guide you.

💡 Final Thoughts

Learning Linux commands is like learning to cook. At first, you’ll burn a lot of files (rm -rf) and confuse cd with mkdir, but once you’re comfortable, you’ll be able to whip up deployments, debug servers, and automate tasks like a chef plating Michelin-star code.

So, stop Googling “How to delete file Linux” and start memorizing the essentials.