Bashls Command - List Directory Contents

Using thels Command

Thels command is used to list the contents of a directory.

Thels command can display files, directories, and information about them.

Basic Usage

To see what's in the current folder, usels:

lsCosmere_RPG_Beta_Rules_Preview.pdf  images/my_file.txt  report.csv  voiceover.wav

Options Overview

Thels command has a variety of options to customize its output:

• -l - Long listing format
• -a - Include hidden files
• -h - Human-readable sizes
• -t - Sort by modification time
• -r - Reverse order while sorting
• -R - List subdirectories recursively
• -S - Sort by file size
• -1 - List one file per line
• -d - List directories themselves, not their contents
• -F - Append indicator (one of */=@|) to entries

Long Listing Format

The-l option gives you detailed information about files and folders.

It displays information such as:

• file permissions
• number of links
• owner name
• owner group
• file size
• time of last modification
• file or directory name

This format is useful for getting a comprehensive overview of the file attributes.

ls -ltotal 24232-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609 23777028 Jan 15 20:38 Cosmere_RPG_Beta_Rules_Preview.pdfdrwxr-xr-x 1 user 197609        0 Apr  9 07:46 images/-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609      890 Apr  9 07:48 my_file.txt-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609   305366 Apr  9 07:48 report.csv-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609   720974 Apr  9 07:47 voiceover.wav

The-a option includes hidden files in the listing.

Hidden files in Unix/Linux systems start with a dot (e.g.,.bashrc).

This option is helpful when you need to view or manage configuration files that are not visible by default.

ls -a./  ../  .my_secret_file  Cosmere_RPG_Beta_Rules_Preview.pdfimages/  my_file.txt  report.csv  voiceover.wav

Human-Readable Sizes

The-h option makes file sizes easier to read by converting byte counts into kilobytes (K), megabytes (M), gigabytes (G), etc.

This option is particularly useful when you want to quickly assess the size of files and directories without manually converting bytes.

ls -lhtotal 24M-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609  23M Jan 15 20:38 Cosmere_RPG_Beta_Rules_Preview.pdfdrwxr-xr-x 1 user 197609    0 Apr  9 07:51 images/-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609  890 Apr  9 07:48 my_file.txt-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609 299K Apr  9 07:48 report.csv-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609 705K Apr  9 07:47 voiceover.wav

Sorting by Time

The-t option sorts files and directories by modification time, with the most recently modified files first.

This option is useful when you want to see the most recently updated files first.

ls -timages/  my_file.txt  report.csv  voiceover.wavCosmere_RPG_Beta_Rules_Preview.pdf

Reverse Order

The-r option reverses the order of the sort.

When used in combination with other options like-t, it can display the oldest files first.

This option is useful for reversing the default sorting behavior to meet specific needs.

ls -rvoiceover.wav  report.csv  my_file.txt  images/Cosmere_RPG_Beta_Rules_Preview.pdf

Recursive Listing

The-R option lists directories and their contents recursively.

This is useful for viewing the entire directory tree.

ls -R.:copy_of_my_file.txt  Cosmere_RPG_Beta_Rules_Preview.pdfimages/  my_file.txt  myfolder/  report.csv  voiceover.wav./images:1.png  2.png  3.png  4.png./myfolder:my_file.txt  new_directory/./myfolder/new_directory:

Sort by Size

The-S option sorts files by size, with the largest files first.

This is helpful for quickly identifying large files in a directory.

ls -SCosmere_RPG_Beta_Rules_Preview.pdf  voiceover.wav  report.csvcopy_of_my_file.txt  my_file.txt  images/  myfolder/

One File per Line

The-1 option lists one file per line, which is useful for scripts or when piping output to other commands.

ls -1Cosmere_RPG_Beta_Rules_Preview.pdfimages/my_file.txtreport.csvvoiceover.wav

Directories Only

The-d option lists directories themselves rather than their contents.

This is useful for seeing directory names without contents.

ls -d */images//  myfolder//

Append Indicator

The-F option appends an indicator character to entries (e.g.,/ for directories,* for executables).

ls -FCosmere_RPG_Beta_Rules_Preview.pdf  images/my_file.txt  report.csv  voiceover.wav

Using Multiple Options

You can combine multiple options to create more complex commands.

For example,ls -l -a will display a detailed listing of all files and directories, including hidden files.

ls -l -atotal 24248drwxr-xr-x 1 user 197609        0 Apr  9 07:53 ./drwxr-xr-x 1 user 197609        0 Apr  9 07:42 ../-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609      890 Apr  9 07:48 .my_secret_file-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609 23777028 Jan 15 20:38 Cosmere_RPG_Beta_Rules_Preview.pdfdrwxr-xr-x 1 user 197609        0 Apr  9 07:51 images/-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609      890 Apr  9 07:48 my_file.txt-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609   305366 Apr  9 07:48 report.csv-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609   720974 Apr  9 07:47 voiceover.wav

You can also combine multiple options without a space between them. For example,ls -la:

ls -latotal 24248drwxr-xr-x 1 user 197609        0 Apr  9 07:53 ./drwxr-xr-x 1 user 197609        0 Apr  9 07:42 ../-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609      890 Apr  9 07:48 .my_secret_file-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609 23777028 Jan 15 20:38 Cosmere_RPG_Beta_Rules_Preview.pdfdrwxr-xr-x 1 user 197609        0 Apr  9 07:51 images/-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609      890 Apr  9 07:48 my_file.txt-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609   305366 Apr  9 07:48 report.csv-rw-r--r-- 1 user 197609   720974 Apr  9 07:47 voiceover.wav