What does the ls command do?

The ls command lists the contents of directories in Linux. It shows files and subdirectories in the specified or current directory.

How do I see hidden files with ls?

Use 'ls -a' to show all files including hidden files (those starting with a dot).

What does ls -l show?

The 'ls -l' command shows detailed information including file permissions, ownership, size, and modification date in long format.

ls Command

The ls command lists directory contents in Linux. It's one of the most frequently used commands for exploring the file system.

Syntax

ls [OPTION]... [FILE]...

Description

The ls command displays information about files and directories. By default, it lists the contents of the current directory in alphabetical order.

Key features:

Lists files and directories
Shows file permissions and ownership
Displays file sizes and timestamps
Can show hidden files
Supports various sorting options

Common Options

Option	Description
`-l`	Long format (detailed information)
`-a`	Show all files (including hidden)
`-h`	Human-readable file sizes
`-r`	Reverse order
`-t`	Sort by modification time
`-S`	Sort by file size
`-R`	Recursive (list subdirectories)

Examples

Basic listing

Lists files and directories in current directory

Long format listing

ls -l

Shows detailed information including permissions, owner, size, and date

Show all files (including hidden)

ls -a

Displays all files including those starting with a dot

Long format with hidden files

ls -la

Combines long format with showing all files

Human-readable file sizes

ls -lh

Shows file sizes in KB, MB, GB format

Sort by modification time

ls -lt

Lists files sorted by modification time (newest first)

Sort by file size

ls -lS

Lists files sorted by size (largest first)

Reverse order

ls -lr

Lists files in reverse alphabetical order

List specific directory

ls /home/user/Documents

Lists contents of specified directory

Recursive listing

ls -R

Lists all files and subdirectories recursively