This article will describe the 10 Linux commands I use in daily life. They are nothing special nor complicated. I have learned that the most simple things in life bring you the best joy so lets start with the least used of the ten commands.

10. – In number ten is hwinfo –short

Hwinfo is an app that gives you system information in a very nice way and I preferer it among built in ways or other apps becouse it’s very nice ordered and super fast. You can have a full system summary or just a quick one just like I love with the –short option. Now as I sad it’s not a built in app so you have to install it, here is how I do it in Ubuntu:

# How to install hwinfo in Ubuntu Linux?
sudo apt install hwinfo
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Here I will give you some of the other ways you can use the command if you need, usually the –short and the –disk options are most common:

# How to use hwinfo most common ways
# Find detailed info about the Linux box
hwinfo
# How to show only a summary #
hwinfo --short
# How to view all disks #
hwinfo --disk
# How to get an overview #
hwinfo --short --block
# How to find a particular disk #
hwinfo --disk --only /dev/sda
hwinfo --disk --only /dev/sda

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09. – In number nine is the lsb_release -a command

From now to then I have to check the versions of all my servers to see if they need some upgrades to be done. Of course I automate things using Ansible but the command for to check all servers is always lsb_release -a . It’s a built in command so you don’t have to do any installations for most of the Linux distributions. As I sad before I love using simple commands nothing complex and easy to remember for daily work.

# How to use lsb_release
lsb_release -a
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08. – The eight position is for the “w” command or also known as who

Yes it’s a needed common command for my daily use so that I can check the users logged on in any of the servers. And I usually use it whit the –short option.

# How to use who command
w
# or 
w -- short
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07. – Seventh on my list is the cp or scp command (copy)

Nothing special here a just copy files and folders mostly for backups or moving stuff from one server to other and every time I use different options depending on the case I need to do.

# How to use cp command
cp /home/sonik/backups/archive-2021-04-28.tar.gz /media/nas01/backups/archive-2021-04-28.tar.g

# How to use scp command
scp /home/sonik/backups/archive-2021-04-28.tar.gz sonik@host-ip:/home/backups/daily/
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Now such jobs usually are done with a cron job and so on but very often you have to do something yourself.

06. – Ah… sixth place is definitely for the Kill command

Yeah Linux is very good and reliable but there is no way that you are going to have a day without using the kill command or systemctl, restart this, kill that, reload the other they are all daily tasks.

# How to use kill
kill process id

# How to use systemctl
systemctl stop process
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05. – Fifth place is for reboots and the command reboot

Now this one is very common in my daily life, when life patch is not possible you have to reboot your machines every time a serious update goes on. So it’s not a big spruce that I use it more common then the other commands that we listed above.

# How to use the reboot command
reboot

# Reboot alternative
shutdown -r now
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04. – Now forth place is defiantly for the clear command

Working with scripts or commands or writhing this for the test and the other and the third I need a clean terminal window, so what do I do? I use the clear command like every 5 minutes in my life. It’s by far the most simple commands of them all but it’s the most important to know for a relaxed user experience with the terminal 🙂

# How to use the clear command in the terminal
clear
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03. Third place is for the man page

No doughs the man page is one of the most common and important commands of them all. Everything you do in life is connected with the man page, how to do this? Or how to do that? What options do I need? All is done with the man page so in my list it’s in third place.

# How to use the man page
man appname
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02. In second place is the history command

Yes in every server that you enter there is something that you have done a minion times and it’s there in the history you just need to find it, execute it and go on with your life so in my list this command is absolutely in second place for daily use. In here I can put history -c also because some servers need the information cleared but this two deserve the second place in my top 10 Linux Commands

# How to use history
history

# How to clear history
history -c
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01. – So the first place… well first place is for the most easy command of them all – the cd command

Are you surprised? I hope not, because this command is needed 24/7 in every shell and you cannot do two things without it. It’s one of the most common used commands in the world and it’s the most needed. I hope you are not disappointed by number one command in my list but that’s really the most used one.

# How to use cd command
cd /path/to/dir
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Conclusion

Now I know that this 10 commands do not include cat, tail, mv as well as other common commands, but for me this are the top in my list for daily use. What are your top commands? If you like to answer type them in the comments bellow.

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