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Help commands in Linux What are they, what are they for and which are the most useful that I should know?

The help commands that you can use in a Linux environment will help you work faster and use the functions accurately, since you will know the results that these shortcuts deliver.

For this it is convenient that you know what the commands are and how they can help you in a Linu terminalx. You will find this information in detail in the following paragraphs.

But this is not all, we will also show you a list with the main commands that you must know to use in Linux as an expert. Don’t miss out on anything and become a true professional.

What are help commands and what can they do in the Linux operating system?

Help commands are parameters that are used by means of combinations special for the user to obtain information in a Linux environment. This allows knowing about specifications and descriptions of certain management files and also of how to use the other commands.

List of the main help commands you should know to use in Linux

List of the main help commands you should know to use in Linux

The main commands you can use in Linux are:

  • apropos: This expression can be used to instruct it to search within a command manual page for a specific word or phrase.
  • df: Through this tool it is possible to know the free space on the disk.
  • find: your job is to search for files in any file or directory.
  • grep: This command is used to find a specific text within a file.
  • help: It is the most intuitive of all and is used when you need to obtain specific information from a command.
  • ifconfig: If what you are looking for is to know the configuration of the device that is on the network, use this command.
  • info: you can have information about the command you want to use every time you use this tool.
  • is: when you need to get a complete list of the directories and files that you have installed in Linux you should use this parameter.
  • iwconfig: used to access personalization that a computer has on a wireless network.
  • lpq: This tool should be used when you want to know the list of files that are in the print queue.
  • man:used to access the manuals of a certain command.
  • netstat: to see the status of the network it is necessary to use this
  • ntop: It is the command used to know the processes that the network has.
  • ps aux: you can see a complete list with the active processes that the terminal has.
  • sort: used to alphabetize files.
  • tkinfo: It is used to make inquiries through a graphical interface of the documentation that a file may contain.
  • top: This command is used to know all the processes that are running at an exact moment. It is also used to shut down these processes.
  • tree: Through a graphical interface you can know the structure of files and directories.
  • wc: It is used to know the total number of lines and characters that a file has.
  • whatis: briefly describes the function that the parameter provides.
  • whereis: used to know the location of a manual page, a specific file, the source code or the location of a file.
  • which: is a very useful helper command used to find out where a program is installed.
  • who: issues a list with all the users that the system has.
  • whoami: When you want to know the name of the user you are using, you should use this tool.
  • xman: It shows through a graphical interface the queries that are made to a manual of a parameter. It can be customized to search directories for specific sections.