Madhurig: Madhurig moved page Linux-Ubuntu/C2/Structure-of-Linux-Commands/English to Linux-New/C2/Structure-of-Linux-Commands/English

2026-03-24T11:06:17Z

Madhurig moved page Linux-Ubuntu/C2/Structure-of-Linux-Commands/English to Linux-New/C2/Structure-of-Linux-Commands/English

Madhurig at 06:55, 11 March 2026

2026-03-11T06:55:20Z

Ketkinaina: Created page with "'''Title of the script: Structure of Commands''' '''Author: EduPyramids Team.''' '''Keywords: '''command structure, command name, options, arguments, ls command, man, apropo..."

2026-01-03T19:22:39Z

Created page with "'''Title of the script: Structure of Commands''' '''Author: EduPyramids Team.''' '''Keywords: '''command structure, command name, options, arguments, ls command, man, apropo..."

New page

'''Title of the script: Structure of Commands'''

'''Author: EduPyramids Team.'''

'''Keywords: '''command structure, command name, options, arguments, ls command, man, apropos, whatis, man -k, ls --help, video tutorial.

{|border=1
|-
|| '''Visual Cue '''
|| '''Narration'''
|-
|| '''Slide 1'''

'''Title Slide'''
|| Welcome to the '''Spoken tutorial''' on''' Structure of Linux Commands'''.
|-
|| '''Slide 2'''

'''Learning Objectives '''

In this tutorial, we will learn about:
* Structure of Linux commands
* Command name, options, and arguments
* Using help commands like man, apropos, and - -help
|| In this tutorial, we will learn about:
* Structure of Linux commands
* Command name, options, and arguments
* Using help commands like man, apropos, and hyphen hyphen help.
|-
|| '''Slide 3'''

'''System Requirements'''
|| To record this tutorial, I am using,

Ubuntu OS version 24 point 04.
|-
|| '''Slide 4'''

'''Pre-requisites'''

[https://edupyramids.org/ https://EduPyramids.org]
|| To follow this tutorial,

Learners should know basic Linux terminal commands.

For the prerequisite Linux tutorials please visit this website.
|-
|| '''Slide 5'''

'''Code files'''

The following code file is required to practice this tutorial

1. sc-commands.txt

This file is provided in the Code Files link of this tutorial page
|| The following code file is required to practice this tutorial.

This file is provided in the Code Files link of this tutorial page.
|-
||
|| Let us get started with the structure of Linux commands.
|-
|| Screencast:

Press''' Ctrl, Alt '''and''' T keys '''on your''' keyboard'''
|| Open the terminal by pressing '''Ctrl, Alt, and T''' keys together.
|-
|| '''Type: ls'''

'''press Enter'''

Highlight all the files shown in the terminal.
|| Type: '''ls'''.

'''ls''' command lists files and folders in a directory.

Commands may be single words or multiple words separated by spaces.

Press '''Enter'''.

Here we can see all the files and folders in the '''Home''' directory.
|-
|| '''Type: clear '''

press '''Enter'''.
|| Type '''clear''' to clear the terminal window.

The '''clear''' command removes previous output from the terminal.

press '''Enter'''.

It gives a clean screen, making the terminal easier to read and work with.
|-
|| '''Type''': '''ls -a'''
|| Type''' ls space hyphen a'''.

The '''ls space hyphen a''' command lists all files and directories.
|-
|| '''Slide 6'''

'''Structure of Linux Commands.'''
* A Linux command consists of multiple parts.
* The first part is the '''command name'''; the remaining parts are called arguments.
* Arguments can be '''options''', '''expressions''', or '''file names'''.
* A command can perform different tasks depending on the '''option''' specified.
* Options usually begin with a single(-) hyphen or a double(- -) hyphen sign.
||
* A Linux command consists of multiple parts.
* The first part is the '''command name'''; the remaining parts are called arguments.
* Arguments can be '''options''', '''expressions''', or '''file names'''.
* A command can perform different tasks depending on the '''option''' specified.
* Options usually begin with a single hyphen or a double hyphen sign.
|-
|| Press enter

Highlight all the files shown in the terminal.
|| Let me press Enter.

Here we can see all the files in the Home directory.
|-
|| Type: '''clear''' and press '''Enter'''.
|| Type '''clear''' and press Enter to clear the terminal window.
|-
|| Type: '''ls --all'''

'''Highlight the list of directories.'''
|| Now type '''ls space hyphen hyphen all '''and press '''Enter'''.

'''ls space hyphen hyphen all'''

lists all files and directories, and also hidden files that start with a dot.
|-
|| Type: '''clear''' and press '''Enter'''.

Type:''' ls -d '''and press '''Enter'''.
|| Again, type clear to clear the terminal .

Now type '''ls space hyphen d '''and press '''Enter'''.
|-
|| '''Highlight the output: dot(.)'''

'''highlight -d'''
|| Notice that only a single dot appears as '''output.'''

The dot represents the '''current directory'''.

The '''hyphen d''' option tells '''Linux, '''show the '''directory''' itself, not what’s inside it.

Since we didn’t give a''' directory '''name, '''Linux '''shows the current '''directory''' as dot.
|-
|| Type:''' ls -d ALL''' and press '''Enter'''.

Highlight '''ALL'''
|| Now, let’s try something different. Suppose we have a '''directory''' named '''ALL'''.

Type:''' ls space hyphen d space ALL''' and press '''Enter'''.

We can see in the '''output,''' Linux prints '''ALL'''.

It only shows the name of the directory.

It does not list the files or folders inside '''ALL'''.
|-
|| Only Narration.
|| In '''Linux''' we have a large number of commands.

Each command has many different options.

So how do we keep track of it?

In reality we don't have to.

This is because of the excellent online help facilities available in Linux.

The '''man''' command displays the manual pages for Linux commands.
|-
|| Type '''man''' '''ls''' and press Enter.

Scroll up to show all the arguments

Press '''q'''
|| To learn more about the ls command,

type '''man''' '''space''' '''ls''' and press Enter.

'''man '''is the system’s manual pager that displays documentation for commands.

Arguments given to '''man''' are normally the name of a program, utility or function.

Press '''q''' to exit the manual.
|-
||
|| '''man''' command provides the '''hyphen''' '''k''' option.

It takes a keyword and returns a list of commands and their brief purpose.
|-
|| Type at the command prompt

'''man -k directories'''
|| For example, to create a directory, we may not know the exact command.

So we can type '''man space hyphen k space directories '''and press Enter.
|-
|| Scroll down to show all the commands related to directories.
|| Now we can search each of these commands to see what we actually need.
|-
|| Type at the command prompt: '''apropos directories'''
|| We can do the same search using the '''apropos''' command.

I have opened another terminal window.

Type '''apropos''' '''space''' '''directories''' and press Enter, to see the same output.
|-
|| Scroll up to show all the commands related to directories.

Close the second terminal window.

Type '''clear''' and press '''Enter'''
|| The '''apropos''' command works similarly to '''man -k.'''

Both search for commands related to a keyword.

I will close the second terminal window.

Clear the screen.
|-
|| Type '''whatis''' and press '''Enter'''.

Highlight the output

Type '''man -f''' and press '''Enter'''.
|| Type '''whatis''' and press '''Enter'''.

The output displays '''whatis''' '''space''' '''what''' '''question''' '''mark'''.

The '''whatis''' command gives a one-line description of a command.

Type '''man''' '''space''' '''hyphen''' '''f''' and press '''Enter'''.

Both give one line description about the command.
|-
|| Type at the command prompt''' '''

'''whatis ls'''
|| Type '''whatis space ls '''and press Enter to see the output.
|-
||
|| To know more options available for a command we can use the '''hyphen hyphen help''' option.
|-
|| '''Type: ls --help'''

Scroll up to show all the options available
|| Type '''ls space''' '''hyphen hyphen help''' and press '''Enter'''.

Many commands also support the hyphen hyphen option.

It displays a brief list of options directly on the terminal.
|-
|| '''Slide 7'''

'''Summary'''

In this tutorial, we learnt about:
* Structure of Linux commands
* Command name, options, and arguments
* Using help commands like man, apropos, and - - help
|| With this we come to the end of this tutorial.

Let us summarise.
|-
|| '''Slide 8'''

'''Assignment'''

'''As an Assignment,'''

'''Run the following commands and check the output:'''
* '''ls -alh'''
* '''ls -al'''
* '''ls -s'''
|| As an Assignment, please do the following
|-
|| '''Slide 9'''

'''Thank you'''
|| This Spoken Tutorial is brought to you by EduPyramids educational services private limited SINE IIT Bombay. Thank you.
|-
|}

← Older revision	Revision as of 11:06, 24 March 2026
(No difference)

@@ Line 65: / Line 65: @@
 Press''' Ctrl, Alt '''and''' T keys '''on your''' keyboard'''
 || Open the terminal by pressing '''Ctrl, Alt, and T''' keys together.
 |-
@@ Line 96: / Line 97: @@
 || Type''' ls space hyphen a'''.
-The '''ls space hyphen a''' command lists all files and directories.
+The command lists all files and directories.
 |-
-'''Structure of Linux Commands.'''
+||Press Enter.
-* A Linux command consists of multiple parts.
-* The first part is the '''command name'''; the remaining parts are called arguments.
-* Arguments can be '''options''', '''expressions''', or '''file names'''.
-* A command can perform different tasks depending on the '''option''' specified.
-* Options usually begin with a single(-) hyphen or a double(- -) hyphen sign.
-||
-* A Linux command consists of multiple parts.
-* The first part is the '''command name'''; the remaining parts are called arguments.
-* Arguments can be '''options''', '''expressions''', or '''file names'''.
-* A command can perform different tasks depending on the '''option''' specified.
-* Options usually begin with a single hyphen or a double hyphen sign.
-|-
-|| Press enter
-−
-Highlight all the files shown in the terminal.
 || Let me press Enter.
-Here we can see all the files in the Home directory.
+Here we can see all the files in the Home directory and also hidden files that start with a dot.
 |-
 || Type: '''clear''' and press '''Enter'''.
@@ Line 126: / Line 111: @@
 '''Highlight the list of directories.'''
-|| Now type '''ls space hyphen hyphen all '''and press '''Enter'''.
+|| Now type '''ls space hyphen hyphen all ''' and press '''Enter'''.
-'''ls space hyphen hyphen all'''
+The command lists all files and directories and also hidden files that start with a dot.
-−
-lists all files and directories, and also hidden files that start with a dot.
 |-
 || Type: '''clear''' and press '''Enter'''.
@@ Line 153: / Line 136: @@
 Highlight '''ALL'''
-|| Now, let’s try something different. Suppose we have a '''directory''' named '''ALL'''.
+|| Now, let’s try something different.
 Type:''' ls space hyphen d space ALL''' and press '''Enter'''.
@@ Line 280: / Line 265: @@
 * '''ls -al'''
 * '''ls -s'''
-|| As an Assignment, please do the following
+|| As an Assignment, please do the following.
 |-
 || '''Slide 9'''

Linux-New/C2/Structure-of-Linux-Commands/English - Revision history

Madhurig: Madhurig moved page Linux-Ubuntu/C2/Structure-of-Linux-Commands/English to Linux-New/C2/Structure-of-Linux-Commands/English

Madhurig at 06:55, 11 March 2026

Ketkinaina: Created page with "'''Title of the script: Structure of Commands''' '''Author: EduPyramids Team.''' '''Keywords: '''command structure, command name, options, arguments, ls command, man, apropo..."