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Shell Command Reference

Developer

Quick reference for common shell commands with syntax examples and practical use cases.

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71 commands
lsFile Ops
ls [options] [path]

List directory contents.

$ ls -la /var/log
cpFile Ops
cp [options] src dest

Copy files or directories.

$ cp -r src/ backup/
mvFile Ops
mv src dest

Move or rename files and directories.

$ mv old.txt new.txt
rmFile Ops
rm [options] path

Remove files or directories.

$ rm -rf build/
mkdirFile Ops
mkdir [options] dir

Create a new directory.

$ mkdir -p a/b/c
rmdirFile Ops
rmdir dir

Remove an empty directory.

$ rmdir empty-folder
findFile Ops
find path -name pattern

Search for files matching criteria.

$ find . -name "*.log"
grepFile Ops
grep [options] pattern file

Search text using patterns.

$ grep -rn "TODO" src/
chmodFile Ops
chmod mode file

Change file permissions.

$ chmod 755 script.sh
chownFile Ops
chown user:group file

Change file owner and group.

$ chown www-data:www-data index.html
touchFile Ops
touch file

Create an empty file or update its timestamp.

$ touch notes.txt
lnFile Ops
ln [-s] target link

Create hard or symbolic links.

$ ln -s /opt/app/bin app
pwdFile Ops
pwd

Print the current working directory.

$ pwd
cdFile Ops
cd [path]

Change the current directory.

$ cd ~/projects
statFile Ops
stat file

Display detailed file or filesystem status.

$ stat package.json
fileFile Ops
file path

Determine file type.

$ file image.png
catText
cat [file...]

Concatenate and print file contents.

$ cat access.log
lessText
less file

View file contents one page at a time.

$ less large.log
headText
head [-n N] file

Print the first lines of a file.

$ head -n 20 data.csv
tailText
tail [-f] [-n N] file

Print the last lines of a file, optionally following updates.

$ tail -f app.log
sedText
sed s/old/new/ file

Stream editor for filtering and transforming text.

$ sed -i 's/foo/bar/g' file.txt
awkText
awk 'pattern {action}' file

Pattern-scanning and text-processing language.

$ awk '{print $1}' access.log
sortText
sort [options] file

Sort lines of text.

$ sort -nr scores.txt
uniqText
uniq [options] file

Report or filter repeated lines (input should be sorted).

$ sort file.txt | uniq -c
wcText
wc [options] file

Count lines, words, and bytes.

$ wc -l file.txt
cutText
cut -d delim -f fields file

Extract sections from each line of a file.

$ cut -d',' -f1,3 data.csv
trText
tr set1 set2

Translate or delete characters.

$ tr 'a-z' 'A-Z' < file.txt
diffText
diff file1 file2

Compare two files line by line.

$ diff old.txt new.txt
xargsText
cmd | xargs other-cmd

Build and execute commands from standard input.

$ find . -name "*.tmp" | xargs rm
psProcess
ps [options]

Report a snapshot of current processes.

$ ps aux | grep node
killProcess
kill [-signal] pid

Send a signal to a process (default: terminate).

$ kill -9 1234
killallProcess
killall name

Kill processes by name.

$ killall node
topProcess
top

Display real-time system and process statistics.

$ top
htopProcess
htop

Interactive process viewer (nicer than top).

$ htop
jobsProcess
jobs

List background jobs in the current shell.

$ jobs -l
bgProcess
bg [job]

Resume a suspended job in the background.

$ bg %1
fgProcess
fg [job]

Bring a background job to the foreground.

$ fg %1
nohupProcess
nohup cmd &

Run a command immune to hangups, even after logout.

$ nohup ./server.sh &
niceProcess
nice -n priority cmd

Run a command with adjusted scheduling priority.

$ nice -n 10 ./build.sh
curlNetwork
curl [options] url

Transfer data to or from a server.

$ curl -X POST -d '{}' https://api.example.com
wgetNetwork
wget [options] url

Download files from the web.

$ wget https://example.com/file.zip
sshNetwork
ssh user@host

Securely log into a remote machine.

scpNetwork
scp src user@host:dest

Securely copy files between hosts.

$ scp app.tar.gz user@host:/opt/app
rsyncNetwork
rsync [options] src dest

Efficiently sync files and directories.

$ rsync -avz src/ user@host:/dest/
pingNetwork
ping host

Test network connectivity to a host.

$ ping toolblip.com
digNetwork
dig domain

Query DNS name servers.

$ dig toolblip.com
nslookupNetwork
nslookup domain

Query DNS records for a domain.

$ nslookup toolblip.com
netstatNetwork
netstat [options]

Display network connections and listening ports.

$ netstat -tulpn
ncNetwork
nc host port

Netcat — read and write across network connections.

$ nc -zv host 443
git initGit
git init

Create a new Git repository.

$ git init
git cloneGit
git clone url

Clone a repository into a new directory.

$ git clone [email protected]:org/repo.git
git statusGit
git status

Show the working tree status.

$ git status
git addGit
git add file

Stage changes for the next commit.

$ git add .
git commitGit
git commit -m 'msg'

Record staged changes to the repository.

$ git commit -m "fix: handle null case"
git pushGit
git push [remote] [branch]

Upload local commits to a remote repository.

$ git push origin main
git pullGit
git pull

Fetch and merge changes from a remote repository.

$ git pull origin main
git branchGit
git branch [name]

List, create, or delete branches.

$ git branch feature/login
git checkoutGit
git checkout branch

Switch branches or restore files.

$ git checkout -b feature/login
git mergeGit
git merge branch

Merge another branch into the current one.

$ git merge feature/login
git logGit
git log [options]

Show commit history.

$ git log --oneline -10
git diffGit
git diff

Show changes between commits, branches, or the working tree.

$ git diff HEAD~1
tarArchive
tar -czf archive.tar.gz dir

Create or extract tar archives.

$ tar -xzf archive.tar.gz
zipArchive
zip -r archive.zip dir

Package and compress files into a zip archive.

$ zip -r site.zip public/
unzipArchive
unzip archive.zip

Extract files from a zip archive.

$ unzip site.zip -d public/
gzipArchive
gzip file

Compress a file using gzip.

$ gzip access.log
gunzipArchive
gunzip file.gz

Decompress a gzip-compressed file.

$ gunzip access.log.gz
dfDisk
df [options]

Report filesystem disk space usage.

$ df -h
duDisk
du [options] path

Estimate file and directory space usage.

$ du -sh node_modules/
mountDisk
mount device path

Mount a filesystem.

$ mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt/data
umountDisk
umount path

Unmount a filesystem.

$ umount /mnt/data
lsblkDisk
lsblk

List information about block devices.

$ lsblk

Knowing roughly what needs doing, finding every file modified in the last day, extracting a specific archive format, isn't the same as remembering the exact flag combination a command actually needs, especially for something used rarely enough that the syntax never quite sticks between uses. This tool provides a quick reference for common shell commands, showing syntax and a practical example for each rather than requiring a full manual page read just to confirm one flag.

See more about the Shell Command Reference

Useful for looking up the exact flag combination for a command that's used rarely enough to keep forgetting, refreshing memory on tar's specific syntax before extracting an unfamiliar archive format, or learning what a common command actually does through a practical example instead of reading its entire manual page.

Key features

  • Clean interface
  • Fast processing
  • No signup required
  • Works offline

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Quick answers for Shell Command Reference

What does the Shell Command Reference do?
Quick reference for common shell commands with syntax examples and practical use cases. The Shell Command Reference is one of 900+ free developer tools on Toolblip - all open to use without a signup.
How do I use the Shell Command Reference?
Open the Shell Command Reference on this page, paste or upload your input, and the result updates as you type. Use the copy button to grab the output, or adjust options to tune the result. Nothing you enter leaves your browser.
Is the Shell Command Reference free to use?
Yes. The Shell Command Reference is a free online tool on Toolblip - no signup, no account, no hidden usage limits. It runs in your browser and works on desktop and mobile.
Is the Shell Command Reference safe and private?
Yes. The Shell Command Reference processes your data entirely client-side, so nothing you paste is uploaded or stored on any server. It's safe to use with internal snippets, private keys for debugging, or any other sensitive content you'd rather not send to a remote service.
What kind of output does the Shell Command Reference produce?
The Shell Command Reference produces clean, formatted output that you can copy or download with a single click. The output is tailored to the tool's purpose (formatted code, converted data, transformed text, or processed media) and is ready for immediate use in your project or workflow.
Does the Shell Command Reference work on mobile devices?
Yes. The Shell Command Reference is designed to work on any device with a modern browser, including phones and tablets. The interface adapts to smaller screens, and the core functionality (paste input, transform, copy output) works the same way regardless of your device.
Do I need to install anything to use the Shell Command Reference?
No. The Shell Command Reference runs entirely in your browser - no downloads, no accounts, no API keys. Paste your input, get the output, copy it back into your editor.
Can the Shell Command Reference handle large input files or long text?
Yes. The Shell Command Reference processes everything locally in your browser, so the only limit is your device's available memory. There are no arbitrary caps on input size, character count, or processing time that you would typically encounter with server-based tools.
Can I use the Shell Command Reference offline?
Once the page has loaded, the Shell Command Reference continues to work without an internet connection. Bookmark this page and return to it anytime - all logic runs locally.