The primary difference between working with files in Linux, as opposed to Windows, lies in how we access and manage those files. In Windows, we typically use graphical tools like Explorer to find, open, and edit files. However, in Linux, the terminal offers a powerful alternative where files can be accessed and edited directly using commands. This method is not only faster, but also more efficient, as it allows you to edit files interactively without even needing editors like vim or nano.
The terminal's efficiency stems from its ability to access files with just a few commands, and it allows you to modify files selectively using regular expressions (regex). Additionally, you can run multiple commands at once, redirecting output to files and automating batch editing tasks, which is a major time-saver when working with numerous files simultaneously. This command-line approach streamlines workflow, making it an invaluable tool for tasks that would be more time-consuming through a graphical interface.
Next, we will explore working with files and directories to effectively manage the content on our operating system.
Create, Move, and Copy
Let us begin by learning how to perform key operations like creating, renaming, moving, copying, and deleting files. Before we execute the following commands, we first need to SSH into the target (using the connection instructions at the bottom of the section). Now, let's say we want to create a new file or directory. The syntax for this is the following:
Syntax - touch
Working with Files and Directories
surajvish@htb[/htb]$ touch <name>
Syntax - mkdir
Working with Files and Directories
surajvish@htb[/htb]$ mkdir <name>
In the next example, we will create a file called info.txt and a directory called Storage. To create these, we follow the commands and their syntax as shown above.
Create an Empty File
Working with Files and Directories
surajvish@htb[/htb]$ touch info.txt
Create a Directory
Working with Files and Directories
surajvish@htb[/htb]$ mkdir Storage
When organizing your system, you may need to create multiple directories within other directories. Manually running the mkdircommand for each one would be time-consuming. Fortunately, the mkdir command has the -p (parents) option, which allows you to create parent directories automatically.
Working with Files and Directories
surajvish@htb[/htb]$ mkdir -p Storage/local/user/documents
We can look at the whole structure after creating the parent directories with the tool tree.
Working with Files and Directories
surajvish@htb[/htb]$ tree .
.
├── info.txt
└── Storage
└── local
└── user
└── documents
4 directories, 1 file
You can create files directly within specific directories by specifying the path where the file should be stored, and you can use the single dot (.) to indicate that you want to start from the current directory. This is a convenient way to work within your current location, without needing to type the full path. Therefore, the command for creating another empty file looks like this:
Create userinfo.txt
Working with Files and Directories
surajvish@htb[/htb]$ touch ./Storage/local/user/userinfo.txt
Working with Files and Directories
surajvish@htb[/htb]$ tree .
.
├── info.txt
└── Storage
└── local
└── user
├── documents
└── userinfo.txt
4 directories, 2 files
With the command mv, we can move and also rename files and directories. The syntax for this looks like this:
Syntax - mv
Working with Files and Directories
surajvish@htb[/htb]$ mv <file/directory> <renamed file/directory>
First, let us rename the file info.txt to information.txt and then move it to the directory Storage.
Rename File
Working with Files and Directories
surajvish@htb[/htb]$ mv info.txt information.txt
Now let us create a file named readme.txt in the current directory and then copy the files information.txt and readme.txt into the Storage/ directory.
Create readme.txt
Working with Files and Directories
surajvish@htb[/htb]$ touch readme.txt
Move Files to Specific Directory
Working with Files and Directories
surajvish@htb[/htb]$ mv information.txt readme.txt Storage/
Working with Files and Directories
surajvish@htb[/htb]$ tree .
.
└── Storage
├── information.txt
├── local
│ └── user
│ ├── documents
│ └── userinfo.txt
└── readme.txt
4 directories, 3 files
Let us assume we want to have the readme.txt in the local/ directory. Then we can copy them there with the paths specified.
Copy readme.txt
Working with Files and Directories
surajvish@htb[/htb]$ cp Storage/readme.txt Storage/local/
Now we can check if the file is thereby using the tool tree again.
Working with Files and Directories
surajvish@htb[/htb]$ tree .
.
└── Storage
├── information.txt
├── local
│ ├── readme.txt
│ └── user
│ ├── documents
│ └── userinfo.txt
└── readme.txt
4 directories, 4 files
In addition to basic file management commands, there are many other powerful ways to work with files in Linux, such as using redirection and text editors. Redirection allows you to manipulate the flow of input and output between commands and files, making tasks like creating or modifying files faster and more efficient. You can also use popular text editors like vim and nano for more interactive editing.
We will explore and discuss these methods in greater detail in later sections. As you become familiar with these techniques, you will gain more flexibility in how you create, edit, and manage files on your system.