# Top 5 Linux Commands I use as Data Engineer

I'm in and out of server boxes all day using terminals and screen sessions. Making edits to files, setting up cron jobs, creating docker containers and monitoring data pipelines. Below are the top 5 commands I use every day.

### 1

### `cd` and `cd ..`

* Navigate to a directory `cd MyFolder`
    
* Navigate back a directory relative to your current path. If current path is `/home/user/MyFolder` executing `cd ..` will bring you to `/home/user`
    

### 2

### `ls` and `ls -ls -h`

* List all contents in current path. `ls` executed while on path `./MyDirectory` will list `main.py`, `profile_pic.jpg` and `creds.txt`
    

```python-repl
├── MyDirectory
│   ├── main.py
│   └── profile_pic.jpg
    └── creds.txt
```

* List all contents and it's attributes in current path AND in human-readable (`-h)` format. ie. `main.py` is 903 bytes in size using `ls -ls -h`
    

```python-repl
-rw-rw-r-- 1 adam adam   0 Dec 20 09:49 creds.txt
-rw-rw-r-- 1 adam adam 903 Dec 20 09:49 main.py
-rw-rw-r-- 1 adam adam   0 Dec 20 09:49 profile_pic.jpg
```

### 3

### `pwd`

* Prints the full name of the path in the current working directory. `pwd` while in `MyDirectory` would hypothetically print `/home/user/MyDirectory/`
    

### 4

### `nano`

* nano is a terminal file editor, nano does not always come pre-installed with every flavor of Linux. To create and start to edit a brand new text file: `nano main.py` will create a file called main.py and bring you right into the text editor.
    

![](https://cdn.hashnode.com/res/hashnode/image/upload/v1671548315448/ulODAN_Kq.png align="center")

### 5

### `cp`

* Copy a single file. `cp <source> <destinationpath_and_filename>`
    
* To copy `main.py` and place it in the same directory `cp main.py main_copy.py`
    
* To copy `main.py` to a new directory, first create the directory `mkdir NewFolder` and copy main into it `main.py NewFolder/main_copy.py`