Listing Directory Contents with the ls Command

ls is one of the most basic Unix commands. It enables you to list the contents of a directory.

Tip

• The commands in this section assume that the shell prompt is displaying your home directory (~).

To list the contents of your home directory

Type ls and press .

A list of the contents of your home directory appears (Figure 4).

Figure 4. A simple directory listing using the ls command.

To list the contents of a subdirectory

Type ls followed by the subdirectory name (for example, ls Library) and press .

A list of the contents of the subdirectory you typed appears (Figure 5).

Figure 5. A listing for the library subdirectory.

To view a long directory listing

Type ls -l and press .

A list of the contents of your home directory, including permissions, owner, size, and modification date information, appears (Figure 6).

Figure 6. The long version of a directory listing includes permission, owner, file size, and modification date information.

Tip

• I tell you more about permissions later in this chapter.

To include invisible items in a directory listing

Type ls -a and press .

A list of the contents of your home directory, including invisible items, appears (Figure 7).

Figure 7. A directory listing that includes invisible subdirectories.