# A Brief Linux Reference Guide
## Working with directories
- `mkdir `
- make subdirectory with specified name
- `rmdir `
- remove specified subdirectory
- `cd `
- move down to specified subdirectory
- `cd ..`
- move up one directory level
- `ls`
- get a directory listing
- `ls -l`
- directory listing, long format (letter l)
- `ls -al`
- directory listing, including hidden files
## Working with files
- `more `
- display the contents of the file, a page at a time(press <space> to go to next page, or <b> to back up to the previous page)
- `chmod `
- set the permissions on <file>
- `chown .`
- change the user.group ownerof <file>
- `cp .`
- copy specified file to current directory
- `cp `
- copy file <source> to the destination
- `mv `
- rename the file from <old> to <new>
- `mv `
- move the file <old> to the destination
- `rm `
- remove the specified file
- `rm *`
- remove all files in current directory
- `head `
- display the first 10 lines of <file>
- `head -20 `
- display the first 20 lines of <file>
- `tail `
- display the last 10 lines of <file>
- `tail -20 `
- display the last 20 lines of <file>
## Administration
- `man `
- display the manual for <command>
- `passwd `
- change your account's password
- `chfn`
- change your account's full name
- `top`
- display all running processes
- `kill `
- kill one of your processes
- `ps -u `
- display all running processes for <user>
## Special files
- `public_html`
- directory in which all web pages should reside
- `.profile`
- account setup file (similar to autoexec.bat)
- `.forward`
- used to forward email to another emailaddress