How to use the Linux Commands Cheat Sheet
- 1. Search or filterType a task like ports or disk, or pick a category such as Networking.
- 2. Read the exampleEach card shows the syntax, what it does and a common use.
- 3. Download your listSave the commands you filtered as a plain text file.
What is on the sheet
The sheet groups 45 commands into files and folders, viewing files, searching, permissions, processes, system, networking, archives, text processing, pipes and redirects, packages, users and help. Each card gives the syntax you will actually type, for example ls -lah to list everything with readable sizes, ss -tulpn to see which program is listening on which port, and journalctl -u nginx -f to follow a service's log.
Search looks at the command name, the syntax and the description, so typing disk finds both df -h and du -sh *, and typing log finds tail, journalctl and grep. Use the category box to narrow the list, then download only what you filtered.
Commands that need extra care
- rm -rf deletes without a recycle bin. Never run it with a path built from a variable that might be empty.
- kill -9 stops a process without letting it clean up. Try plain
killfirst. - sed -i edits files in place. Keep a copy or use
sed -i.bak. - chmod 777 lets every user write a file. It is almost never the right fix for a permission error.
The syntax shown is for GNU tools on distributions such as Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and Rocky Linux. macOS uses BSD versions of some commands, so a few flags differ. Work out permission numbers with the chmod calculator, and build longer find, grep and tar lines with the Linux command builder.
Frequently asked questions
Does this work for Ubuntu and CentOS?
Yes for almost every command. Package commands differ: Ubuntu and Debian use apt, while Fedora, RHEL, Rocky and Alma use dnf.
How do I learn more about one command?
Run man followed by the command name, or the command with --help. The sheet gives the common case only.
Is the Linux Commands Cheat Sheet free?
Yes, the Linux Commands Cheat Sheet is free. The first time you download your first cheat sheet, you are asked for your name and WhatsApp number once. After that, this and every other Uncodemy tool opens straight away without the form.