Linux command 02

ls

Show the files and folders inside your current location.

Beginner 3 min Topic: Linux

Syntax

Command

ls

Example

Example command

ls

Run ls after checking your location with pwd to see the files and folders available in that directory.

Why it matters

You cannot work confidently in the terminal if you do not know what is in the current directory. ls gives you immediate visibility before you act.

Expected output

You should see one or more file or folder names.

What you may see

Documents  notes.txt  scripts

The exact names will depend on your machine. Linux is showing the contents of the current directory.

Common mistake

Mistake: Typing ls and expecting detailed explanations for each item.

Correction: Basic ls only lists names. It does not describe what each file does. Start by identifying the names you see.

Practice

  1. Run pwd, then ls, and explain how the two commands relate.
  2. Move to another directory and use ls again.
  3. Identify which entries look like folders and which look like files.

Video

Quick walkthrough

This section is reserved for a short visual demo. For now, use the practice prompts to reinforce the command.

Related tasks

01 pwd Print the full path of the directory you are currently in. 03 cd Change your current working directory in the terminal. 04 mkdir Make a new folder from the terminal.

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