15 Intermediate Linux Commands You Should Learn

Once you are comfortable with basic Linux commands, it's time to level up with intermediate commands.

These commands help in searching, permissions management, networking, and process handling.

In this guide, we will cover 15 useful intermediate Linux commands with examples.

These are commonly used by developers, system administrators, and DevOps engineers.

Concept Overview

Intermediate commands allow you to work efficiently with files, processes, and system configurations.

They often include flags and options for advanced control.

List of Intermediate Commands

1. grep – Search text in files

2. find – Search files and directories

3. chmod – Change file permissions

4. chown – Change file ownership

5. df – Show disk space usage

6. du – Show file size usage

7. top – Monitor system processes

8. ps – Display running processes

9. kill – Terminate processes

10. tar – Archive files

11. zip/unzip – Compress and extract files

12. wget – Download files from internet

13. curl – Transfer data from URLs

14. history – Show command history

15. alias – Create command shortcuts

Examples

grep "error" file.txt
find /home -name file.txt
chmod 755 script.sh
chown user:user file.txt
df -h
du -sh folder
top
ps aux
kill 1234
tar -cvf archive.tar folder
zip file.zip file.txt
wget https://example.com/file
curl -O https://example.com/file
history
alias ll='ls -la'

Detailed Explanation

grep searches for patterns inside files.

find locates files and directories based on conditions.

chmod modifies file permissions, and chown changes ownership.

df and du help monitor disk usage.

top and ps display system processes.

kill is used to stop unwanted processes.

tar and zip handle file compression and archiving.

wget and curl download files from the internet.

history shows previously executed commands.

alias creates shortcuts for frequently used commands.

Example Walkthrough

You can search for a file using find, check its permissions using ls -l, and modify them using chmod.

If a process is consuming too much memory, identify it using top and terminate it using kill.

Applications

These commands are used in system monitoring, file management, automation, and server administration.

Advantages of Learning These Commands

Enhances productivity and efficiency.

Enables better control over system resources.

Limitations

Some commands require root privileges.

Improvements You Can Make

Learn scripting with bash to automate tasks.

Explore advanced options for each command using man pages.

Mastering these intermediate commands will significantly improve your Linux skills.