14. About File Commands

BEFORE YOU BEGIN	SEE ALSO
13 Access the Command Line	46 Use Nautilus to Manage Folders
	47 Browse and Open Files
	48 Find Files

You can list and manipulate the files in your folders from the command line. NLD provides the Nautilus File Manager, which allows you to manage your files using a GUI utility. You will probably want to use Nautilus for most of your file work. However, it is not a bad idea to know and understand a few file management shell commands at least some of the basic file commands. Table 3.1 lists a few file management commands that you can use in the GNOME Terminal.

Table 3.1. File Management Commands

COMMAND	PURPOSE
ls	Lists the files in the current directory.
cd	Used to change to a particular directory folder; for example, cd Documents would move you from the current parent folder to a subfolder named Documents. The cd command would return you to the parent folder.
mkdir would	Used to create a new directory. For example, mkdir joe place a new directory (subfolder) in the current folder.
rmdir	Used to remove a directory. From the folder's parent directory, type rmdir followed by the folder name. For example, rmdir joe would remove the joe folder (the folder must be empty to be removed).
copy	Used to copy a file from one folder to another. For example, to copy a file from the current folder to another folder the syntax would be copy filename.
rm	Used to delete a file. The syntax is rm filename. Be careful with this command; it does not provide you with a second chance in terms of deleting a file.

Web Resource

http://www.linuxforum.com/shell.php

For a complete listing of Linux commands by category check out this website.

Remember that Linux commands and references are case-sensitive. So if a folder begins with a capital letter, you must type the name exactly to manipulate that folder. In terms of experimenting with folders and files at the command line, you can create new folders within your Home folder and keep documents and other files that you use in the Documents subfolder.