ls Cheatsheet
Basic Listing
Use these commands for everyday directory listing.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
ls |
List files in current directory |
ls /path/to/dir |
List files in specific directory |
ls -1 |
One entry per line |
ls -a |
Include hidden files |
ls -A |
Include hidden files except . and .. |
Long Format and Metadata
Show permissions, ownership, size, and timestamps.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
ls -l |
Long listing format |
ls -lh |
Human-readable file sizes |
ls -la |
Long format with hidden files |
ls -n |
Numeric UID and GID |
ls -li |
Show inode numbers |
Sorting
Sort files by time, size, extension, or version.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
ls -lt |
Sort by modification time (newest first) |
ls -ltr |
Sort by modification time (oldest first) |
ls -lS |
Sort by file size (largest first) |
ls -lX |
Sort by extension |
ls -lv |
Natural sort for version-like names |
Time Display
Control which timestamp is shown.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
ls -lt --time=atime |
Sort/show by access time |
ls -lt --time=ctime |
Sort/show by status change time |
ls -l --time-style=long-iso |
ISO-like date format |
ls -l --full-time |
Full timestamp precision |
Directory Views
List directories recursively or show directory entries only.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
ls -la --group-directories-first |
Long listing with directories before files |
ls -d */ |
List only directories in current path |
ls -ld /path/to/dir |
Show metadata for directory itself |
ls -R |
Recursive listing |
ls -laR |
Recursive long listing with hidden files |
Output Formatting
Adjust visual style and indicators.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
ls -F |
Append indicator (/, *, @) by file type |
ls -p |
Append / to directories |
ls -m |
Comma-separated output |
ls -x |
List entries across rows instead of down columns |
ls --color=auto |
Enable colorized output when supported |
Filtering with Globs
List files that match shell patterns.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
ls *.log |
List files ending in .log |
ls file?.txt |
Match single-character wildcard |
ls [ab]*.conf |
Match names starting with a or b |
ls -d .[^.]* |
List hidden files (common shell pattern) |
Common Patterns
Frequent command combinations.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
ls -lah |
Most common detailed listing |
ls -lhS |
Largest files first with readable sizes |
ls -lat |
Newest files first including hidden entries |
| `ls -1 | wc -l` |
| `ls -l | grep ‘^d’` |
Troubleshooting
Quick checks for typical listing issues.
| Issue | Check |
|---|---|
| Hidden files not visible | Add -a or -A |
| File sizes are hard to read | Use -h with -l |
| Wrong sort order | Confirm flags (-t, -S, -X, -r) |
| No color output | Try ls --color=auto and check alias settings |
| Path looks empty | Verify permissions with ls -ld /path |
Related Guides
Use these references for deeper file management workflows.
| Guide | Description |
|---|---|
How to List Files in Linux Using the ls Command
|
Full ls guide with practical examples |
Du Command in Linux
|
Check disk usage and file sizes |
Linux Commands Cheatsheet
|
General command quick reference |
