ls (list files and directories) in Linux CLI - Mini Project: Build & Apply

Listing Files and Directories with ls

📖 Scenario: You are organizing your files on your computer. You want to see what files and folders are inside a specific folder to decide what to do next.

🎯 Goal: Learn how to use the ls command to list files and directories in a folder.

📋 What You'll Learn

Use the ls command to list files

Use ls with options to show hidden files

Use ls to list files with detailed information

Use ls to list files sorted by size

💡 Why This Matters

🌍 Real World

Listing files is a daily task when managing files on any computer or server. Knowing how to see hidden files and details helps you understand your files better.

💼 Career

System administrators, developers, and anyone working with computers use <code>ls</code> to quickly check files and folders. It is a fundamental skill for working in command-line environments.

1

Create a test folder with files

Create a folder called test_folder and inside it create three files named file1.txt, file2.txt, and .hiddenfile.

Linux CLI

# Create the folder and files using mkdir and touch commands
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Use mkdir test_folder to make the folder and touch to create files.

2

List files in the folder

Use the ls command to list the files inside test_folder.

Linux CLI

mkdir test_folder
cd test_folder
touch file1.txt file2.txt .hiddenfile

# Use ls to list files
# Your code here

Need a hint?

Just type ls to see visible files.

3

List all files including hidden ones

Use the ls -a command to list all files, including hidden files, inside test_folder.

Linux CLI

mkdir test_folder
cd test_folder
touch file1.txt file2.txt .hiddenfile

# Use ls with -a option to show hidden files
# Your code here

Need a hint?

The -a option shows hidden files starting with a dot.

4

List files with details and sort by size

Use the ls -lS command to list files with detailed information sorted by size inside test_folder.

Linux CLI

mkdir test_folder
cd test_folder
touch file1.txt file2.txt .hiddenfile

# Use ls with -lS options to show details and sort by size
# Your code here

Need a hint?

The -l option shows details like size and date, and -S sorts by size.