How to Manage Files and Directories in Unix

File and directory management is one of the most essential skills when using Unix. Whether you’re creating, moving, copying, or deleting files, Unix provides straightforward commands to help you organize your data efficiently.

In this blog, we’ll cover the most common file and directory management tasks with simple examples.

---

1. Creating Files and Directories

Create an Empty File: touch

The touch command creates an empty file.

Example:

$ touch myfile.txt

Now, a file named myfile.txt exists in your current directory.

---

Create a Directory: mkdir

The mkdir command creates a new directory.

Example:

$ mkdir myfolder

This creates a directory named myfolder in your current location.

---

2. Viewing File Contents

See the Contents of a File: cat

The cat command displays the entire content of a file.

Example:

$ cat myfile.txt

View Large Files: less

For long files, use less to scroll through the content one page at a time.

Example:

$ less largefile.txt

---

3. Copying and Moving Files

Copy Files: cp

The cp command makes a copy of a file or directory.

Examples:

• Copy a file:

  $ cp myfile.txt backup.txt

• Copy a directory (use the -r option for recursive copying):

  $ cp -r myfolder backup_folder

Move or Rename Files: mv

The mv command moves or renames files and directories.

Examples:

• Move a file to another directory:

  $ mv myfile.txt myfolder/

• Rename a file:

  $ mv myfile.txt newname.txt

---

4. Deleting Files and Directories

Delete Files: rm

The rm command removes files.

Example:

$ rm myfile.txt

Delete Directories: rm -r

Use the -r option to delete directories and their contents.

Example:

$ rm -r myfolder

Be careful: The rm command permanently deletes files without moving them to a trash bin.

---

5. Organizing Files

Move Multiple Files with Wildcards

Wildcards like * let you work with multiple files at once.

Example:

• Move all .txt files into a directory:

  $ mv *.txt myfolder/

Sort Files by Time or Size

Use ls with options to organize your view:

• Sort by time:

  $ ls -lt

• Sort by size:

  $ ls -lS

---

6. Checking Disk Space

See File Sizes: du

The du (Disk Usage) command shows the size of files and directories.

Example:

$ du -sh myfolder

This shows the total size of myfolder.

Check Free Space: df

The df command shows how much disk space is available.

Example:

$ df -h

The -h option makes the output human-readable (e.g., in MB or GB).

---

Practice Time!

1. Create a new directory and a file inside it:

   $ mkdir project
   $ touch project/notes.txt

2. Copy the file to a new location:

   $ cp project/notes.txt notes_backup.txt

3. Delete the original file:

   $ rm project/notes.txt

---

Summary

• Use touch and mkdir to create files and directories.
• Use cp and mv to copy or move files.
• Use rm to delete files and directories carefully.

---