Well, there are quite a few, and here we will see the 57 most used sorted by category:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Files management<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Network commands<\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- System updates<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Packages management<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- System management<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Raspberry Pi OS commands<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Misc commands<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Warrior commands \ud83d\ude42<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
By the way, if you are really interested in improving your skills on Raspberry Pi, I highly recommend to check out my e-book here<\/a>. It’s a 30-days challenge from beginner to master<\/strong>, with step-by-step tutorials and projects to practice along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Files management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The Linux files organization is a tree, starting at the root: \/ \nEach subfolder created under it is accessible starting with \/. \nFor example: \/home\/pi \u21d2 pi is a subfolder of \/home, home is a subfolder in \/. \n\nI have a complete article on RaspberryTips giving you more details about this:\nHow Does the Raspberry Pi File System Works?<\/a><\/pre>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- cd <path>:<\/strong> Changes directory, go to the specified folder in the files tree.
cd \/home\/pi<\/code> <\/li>\n\n\n\n- ls:<\/strong> Lists the files and directory in the current or specified folder.
ls ls \/home\/pi
ls -latr \/home\/pi<\/code>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/lshome.jpg\")
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- mkdir <folder>:<\/strong> Creates a new subfolder in the current or specified folder.
mkdir myfolder
mkdir \/home\/pi\/myfolder <\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- cp <file> <destination>: <\/strong>Copies a file or a directory to another location (to copy a complete directory you need to add the -r parameter for “recursive”).
cp test.txt \/home\/pi\/Documents\/
cp \/home\/pi\/test.txt \/home\/pi\/Documents\/
cp -r \/home\/pi\/test\/ \/home\/pi\/Documents\/<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- mv <source> <destination>: <\/strong>Moves a file or a directory to another location.
mv \/home\/pi\/test.txt \/home\/Documents\/
mv \/home\/pi\/test\/ \/home\/Documents\/<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- cat <file>:<\/strong> Displays all the content of the specified file.
cat \/home\/pi\/README.txt<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- more <file>:<\/strong> Displays the content of the specified file, page per page (enter or space to continue, q to quit).
more \/var\/log\/syslog<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- tail <file>: <\/strong>Tail allows you to display the end of a file, it’s useful to check new entries in a log file.
tail \/var\/log\/syslog
<\/code>You can specify the number of lines to display with -n.tail -n20 \/var\/log\/syslog
<\/code>And finally, my favorite is the option -f to displays new lines in real-time.tail -f \/var\/log\/syslog<\/span><\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- head <file>: <\/strong>It’s the same as tail but to display the beginning of a file.
head \/home\/pi\/file.txt
head -n20 \/home\/pi\/file.txt<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- grep <string>: <\/strong>Grep is a powerful tool to search string in a text. You can use it to search something in a file or to filter the output of another command or script.
Basic usage:grep dhcp \/var\/log\/syslog
<\/code>
As I say, you can use it on a file or a script output:cat \/var\/log\/syslog | grep dhcp
\/home\/pi\/myscript.sh | grep error
ls -latr | grep php<\/code>
And finally, there are a lot of options to use with grep, like regular expressions or options to display lines before (-B), after (-A) or around (-C) the search string.
You can also use -v to display everything except the input string.grep 'dhcp|dns' \/var\/log\/syslog
grep -A2 -B4 'Fatal error' \/var\/log\/apache\/error.log
grep -v 'Notice' \/var\/log\/apache\/error.log<\/code>
If you like this tool, I recommend you read the man page to know exactly what you can do with it.man grep<\/code>
And you can also read my dedicated article about grep here<\/a>.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- nano <file>:<\/strong> Nano is text editor. It would need an entire article to go into detail (I have done it since, click here to read more about it<\/a> ^^).
It allows you to edit a file, and save your changes with (CTRL + O, Enter, CTRL + X).nano \/home\/pi\/myscript.sh<\/code>You’ll find all actions available at the bottom of the screen.<\/p><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- rm <file>:<\/strong> Deletes a file. For a folder, add option -rf (recursive and force)
rm monscript.sh
rm -rf \/home\/pi\/scripts\/<\/code>
Be really careful if you are using sudo with this command. Using it on system folders will delete everything without any warning message, and can break your system in a few seconds.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- tar -c:<\/strong> You can use tar to store files into an archive. It’s often used with gzip to compress files.
tar -cvfz archive.tar.gz \/home\/pi\/Documents\/mydirectory<\/code>-c: create an archive
-v: verbose
-f: filename of the archive follow
-z: compress files with gzip <\/span><\/p><\/li>\n\n\n\n- tar -x:<\/strong> It’s the same command but to extract files.
tar -xvfz archive.tar.gz <\/code>
-x: extract an archive
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- find:<\/strong> As the name suggests, find is useful to locate files on your Raspberry Pi.
find \/home\/pi -iname *.tar.gz<\/code>There are many options to help you find the good file (size, last modification date, …). And if you want to learn options to quickly find a file on Raspberry Pi, you can also read this other article on the topic<\/a>.<\/span><\/p><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- pwd:<\/strong> Pwd lets you see in which directory you are.
pwd<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- tree:<\/strong> Another great tool to analyze your current location in the file tree. It will show you the entire lower tree (see the example below).
tree<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\npi@raspberrypi:\/var\/log $ tree \n . \n |-- alternatives.log \n |-- alternatives.log.1 \n |-- alternatives.log.2.gz \n |-- apt \n | |-- eipp.log.xz \n | |-- history.log \n | |-- history.log.1.gz \n | |-- history.log.2.gz \n | |-- term.log \n | |-- term.log.1.gz \n | `-- term.log.2.gz<\/pre>\n\n\n\n
There is a cheat sheet available here<\/a> that you can download for free, with all the commands listed in this article (in fact there are a few bonuses in the PDF). Make sure to download it, so you always have it handy when you use your Raspberry Pi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Network commands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Shortly after your first Raspberry Pi OS installation, you’ll need some of these commands to help you with the network configuration <\/strong>(especially if you are on a lite version or with SSH).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Configuration<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- ifconfig:<\/strong> Displays your current network configuration, mainly your IP address if connected.
ifconfig<\/code>![\"ifconfig\"](\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/08\/ifconfig.png\")
<\/figure>
That’s the easiest way to find the Raspberry Pi address, but there are other solutions when you don’t have access to it (as I explain in this article<\/a>).
For information, on some systems, ifconfig is no longer available, instead you can use:ip a
<\/code>to find the IP address.
Ifconfig still works on Raspberry Pi OS at the time of writing, but just in case.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- ping <ip>:<\/strong> Sends a ping packet to another IP on the network to check if the host is alive.
ping 192.168.1.1<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- ifup <interface>:<\/strong> Enables the specified interface.
sudo ifup eth0<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- ifdown <interface>:<\/strong> Disables the specified interface. Can be useful to disable Wi-Fi if you are already connected by cable for example.
sudo ifdown wlan0<\/code>
By the way, it’s a great idea to disable the Wi-Fi interface if you don’t use it. You can find more permanent solutions in this article<\/a>, but ifdown is a quick way to do this.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nFile transfer and remote connection<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- wget <url>:<\/strong> This command allows you to download a file from the Internet.
wget https:\/\/wordpress.org\/latest.zip<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- ssh <user>@<ip>:<\/strong> SSH is a network protocol that provides you a way to connect securely to a remote computer.
ssh root@192.168.1.201<\/code>
SSH is very useful to remote control a Raspberry Pi (or any Linux computer), check this article to learn everything about it:
Use SSH To Remote Control Your Raspberry Pi: A complete guide<\/a>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- scp <file> <user>@<ip>:<path>:<\/strong> scp can transfer a file to a remote computer over SSH.
scp test.txt root@192.168.1.201:\/root\/<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- rsync <file> <user>@<ip>:<path>:<\/strong> rsync does almost the same thing but with a delta comparison algorithm and some optimizations to transfer files faster.
rsync test.txt root@192.168.1.201:\/root\/
rsync -auzr \/home\/pi\/Documents\/* \/home\/pi\/backups\/Documents\/<\/code>As you can see, you can also use rsync<\/a> for local file synchronization.<\/p> I generally use this command to back up my Raspberry Pi (as explained here<\/a>). I send all these important files to my local NAS (I’m using this device<\/a>). It takes a few seconds and I know I’m safe after that.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
System updates<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- apt update:<\/strong> Downloads the last repository version for each one you have in your configuration (\/etc\/apt\/sources.list).
sudo apt update<\/code>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/01\/apt-update-rpi.jpg\")
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- apt upgrade:<\/strong> Updates all installed packages if needed.
sudo apt upgrade<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- rpi-update:<\/strong> Only use this if you know what you do.
This command will update everything on your Raspberry Pi (firmware, packages, …) and can potentially break something.rpi-update<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nPackages management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
After that, you may want to install new packages on your Raspberry Pi<\/a>.
Here are the commands you need to know to do this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n- \n
- apt install <package>:<\/strong> Installs the specified package(s).
sudo apt install phpmyadmin
sudo apt install vim htop<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- apt remove <package>:<\/strong> Removes a previously selected package.
sudo apt remove vim<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- apt search <search>:<\/strong> Searches for a package name in the packages list (repository).
sudo apt search myadmin
sudo apt search php<\/code>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/aptsearch.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/li>\n\n\n\n- dpkg -l:<\/strong> Lists all installed packages on your system. You can use grep to find a specific package.
dpkg -l
dpkg -l | grep myadmin<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nNote<\/strong>: If you want to see all these commands in action, I have a video lesson available for the community members. You can join here and watch it directly<\/a> if you are interested (with 10+ other lessons for Raspberry Pi and many other benefits).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
System management<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Here are the commands you’ll often use to manage your Raspberry Pi system:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- reboot:<\/strong> As the name says, this command will restart the Raspberry Pi immediately.
sudo reboot<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- shutdown -h now:<\/strong> This is to stop the Raspberry Pi immediately.
sudo shutdown -h now<\/code>You can replace “now” by a specific time (shutdown -h 12:05). Don’t use the power switch to stop your Raspberry, you should do it properly by using this command or one of the other methods explained here<\/a> and there<\/a>.<\/p><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- service <servicename> <action>: <\/strong>This command allows you to start or stop services.
service apache2 start
service apache2 stop<\/code>
Sometimes there are other options, depending on the service, for example:service apache2 reload
service apache2 restart <\/code>
Don’t type any action to see all those available:service apache2<\/code>
For information, you can also use systemctl to do the same thing, on Raspberry Pi OS you have the choice, but on some systems it’s only systemctl.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- update-rc.d <service> <action>: <\/strong>On Debian, this command allows you to manage the service start or stop on the system boot.
To start a service on boot:sudo update-rc.d ssh enable
<\/code>To disable start of the service:sudo update-rc.d -f ssh remove
<\/code>The -f option is here to force the symbolic link deletion. This command is only for service. To start other scripts or commands on boot, you have to edit the \/etc\/rc.local file.sudo nano \/etc\/rc.local<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- ps: <\/strong>This command displays all running process on your Raspberry Pi.
The basic command is this one to display everything:ps aux
<\/code>You can also display process started by a specific user: <\/span>ps -u pi <\/code>
This will give you a list like this:![\"ps](\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/ps.jpg\")
The process ID (PID) can be useful for other commands, to stop it for example (next command).
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- kill <pid>: <\/strong>The kill command allows you to terminate a process. You’ll need the process ID to do this (see the previous command).
kill 12345<\/code>Sometime you may need to use the -9 option to force all related commands to stop.
For example, if you run 20 commands in a script and kill it, it’ll continue to the next line, not exit the program, except if you use the -9 option.<\/p>kill -9 12345<\/code>You can also use killall to stop all occurrences of a program.<\/p>
killall php<\/code>This\u00a0command will stop all PHP scripts.<\/p>Be aware that this command will immediately stop the process asked, no matter what was going on. It isn’t a clean stop.
You don’t know what the script is doing so it can damage data or corrupt files.
This should be used as a last step, and if possible on the non-critical process.<\/p>
Check my full guide about the “kill” command<\/a> here.<\/li>\n\n\n\n- htop:<\/strong> This tool is an alternative to top. It’s more user-friendly than top, with colors and dynamic load bars.
htop<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- df:<\/strong> Displays the partition list, with the disk space used and available for each one.
df
df -h<\/code>-h option is for the human-readable format.<\/p><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- vcgencmd measure_temp:<\/strong> You may not remember it, but this command displays the current CPU temperature.
vcgencmd measure_temp<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nRaspberry Pi OS commands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- raspi-config:<\/strong> This tool allows you to manage all the configuration from a terminal or an SSH connection.
sudo raspi-config<\/code>![\"raspi](\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/raspi-config.jpg\")
<\/figure>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- libcamera-still:<\/strong> If you have a camera plugged in the camera module<\/a>, this command takes a shot and saves it as an image file.
libcamera-still -o image.jpg<\/code>
Note<\/strong>: On older Raspberry Pi OS versions, you should use raspistill instead, and raspivid for the next command.
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- libcamera-vid:<\/strong> It’s the same command but it captures video from the camera.
libcamera-vid -o video.h264 -t 10000<\/code>-t parameter is the time of the capture in milliseconds.<\/p><\/li>\n\n\n\n
- raspi-gpio: <\/strong> This command allows you to manage the GPIO pins of the Raspberry Pi. You can either set or get a value.
raspi-gpio get
raspi-gpio get 20
raspi-gpio set 20 a5
raspi-gpio set 20 op pn dh<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- raspividyuv or raspiyuv: <\/strong> This command is similar to the raspivid but for a raw YUV video stream.
raspividyuv -o video.yuv<\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- rpi-update:<\/strong> Only use this if you know what you are doing. This will update everything on your Raspberry Pi (firmware, packages, …) and can potentially break something.
sudo rpi-update<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nMisc<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- history: <\/strong>Linux store any command you type in an archive file. History is the command to use to display this list.
history<\/code>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/raspberrytips.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/09\/history.jpg\")
You can also clear all the history.history -c
<\/code>Or clear one specific entry.<\/span>history -d 12<\/span><\/code>
<\/li>\n\n\n\n- crontab:<\/strong> Cron is a tool to schedule tasks on a Raspberry Pi. Crontab is the file where you enter lines for each task to run.
crontab -l<\/code>crontab -e<\/code>-l option to display lines.
-e option to edit lines.
You can use sudo before to schedule tasks to run with root privileges.
I have an entire tutorial on this topic<\/a> if you need more information.<\/p><\/li>\n\n\n\n- screen:<\/strong> This tool allows you to let something run in the background even if you close your session.
screen -s <name><\/code>screen -r <name><\/code>-s option to start a new screen with the following name.
-r option to resume a running screen with this name.
You can forget the name if you want, an ID will be generated, use screen -r to find it and screen -r <ID> to resume it.
With only one screen running, screen -r will resume it directly.<\/p>
Need more? The \u2018screen\u2019 Command on Linux: A Beginner\u2019s Guide<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\nWarrior commands<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
- crontab:<\/strong> Cron is a tool to schedule tasks on a Raspberry Pi. Crontab is the file where you enter lines for each task to run.
- libcamera-still:<\/strong> If you have a camera plugged in the camera module<\/a>, this command takes a shot and saves it as an image file.
- shutdown -h now:<\/strong> This is to stop the Raspberry Pi immediately.
- apt remove <package>:<\/strong> Removes a previously selected package.
- apt upgrade:<\/strong> Updates all installed packages if needed.
- ssh <user>@<ip>:<\/strong> SSH is a network protocol that provides you a way to connect securely to a remote computer.
- ping <ip>:<\/strong> Sends a ping packet to another IP on the network to check if the host is alive.
- ls:<\/strong> Lists the files and directory in the current or specified folder.
- Network commands<\/b><\/li>\n\n\n\n