How to List All Files In A Directory In Linux?

6 minutes read

To list all files in a directory in Linux, you can use the ls command. By default, when you enter ls followed by a directory path, it will display a list of all files and directories within that specified directory.


For example, to list files in the current directory, you can simply type ls. This will provide you with an output similar to the following:

1
file1.txt  file2.jpg  directory1  directory2


Each file and directory is displayed on a separate line. The file names are listed in alphabetical order.


To list files in a specific directory, you can provide the path as an argument to the ls command. For instance, if you want to list the files in the "/home/user/Documents" directory, you can enter ls /home/user/Documents.


The ls command also allows for additional options to alter the list's format or sort order. Some commonly used options include:

  • -l: Displays a detailed list that includes file permissions, ownership, size, and modification time.
  • -a: Shows hidden files starting with a dot (.) symbol.
  • -r: Reverses the order of the list.
  • -t: Sorts files by modification time.


These options can be combined to customize the output. For example, ls -lart would list all files (including hidden ones) in reverse order of modification time, with detailed information.


Remember that Linux is case-sensitive, so "file.txt" and "File.txt" would be treated as different files.

Best Linux Books of 2025

1
Efficient Linux at the Command Line: Boost Your Command-Line Skills

Rating is 5 out of 5

Efficient Linux at the Command Line: Boost Your Command-Line Skills

2
CompTIA Linux+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Second Edition (Exam XK0-005)

Rating is 4.9 out of 5

CompTIA Linux+ Certification All-in-One Exam Guide, Second Edition (Exam XK0-005)

3
Practical Linux Forensics: A Guide for Digital Investigators

Rating is 4.8 out of 5

Practical Linux Forensics: A Guide for Digital Investigators

4
Linux Bible

Rating is 4.7 out of 5

Linux Bible

5
Linux Basics for Hackers: Getting Started with Networking, Scripting, and Security in Kali

Rating is 4.6 out of 5

Linux Basics for Hackers: Getting Started with Networking, Scripting, and Security in Kali

6
The Linux Command Line, 2nd Edition: A Complete Introduction

Rating is 4.5 out of 5

The Linux Command Line, 2nd Edition: A Complete Introduction

7
How Linux Works, 3rd Edition: What Every Superuser Should Know

Rating is 4.4 out of 5

How Linux Works, 3rd Edition: What Every Superuser Should Know


What is the command to list files in a directory, including hidden files, in Linux?

The command to list files in a directory, including hidden files, in Linux is "ls -a".


What is the Linux command to display all files in a directory, recursively?

The Linux command to display all files in a directory, recursively is:

1
ls -R



What is the Linux command to show all files in a directory?

The Linux command to show all files in a directory is "ls -a" or "ls --all".


What is the command to list the last modified date and time of all files in a directory in Linux?

The command to list the last modified date and time of all files in a directory in Linux is "ls -l" or "ls -lt".

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Telegram Whatsapp Pocket

Related Posts:

To install Golang in Kali Linux, you can follow these steps:Open the terminal on your Kali Linux system. Download the latest stable version of Golang from the official website. You can use the wget command to download it directly from the terminal. For example...
To find files that are larger than a certain size in Linux, you can use the find command along with the -size option. Here's how you can do it:Open the terminal in Linux. Use the following syntax: find /path/to/directory -type f -size + -exec ls -lh {} \; ...
To delete files with a specific pattern in Linux, you need to use the "rm" command along with the appropriate options. Here's how you can do it:Open the terminal on your Linux system.Use the "cd" command to navigate to the directory where t...
To read a file with a specific encoding in Linux, you can follow these steps:Open the Terminal in Linux.Navigate to the directory where the file is located using the cd command, for example: cd /path/to/directory Once inside the directory, you can use commands...
To view hidden files in Linux, you can use the command line or a file manager. Here's how you can do it:Command Line Method: Open the terminal by pressing Ctrl+Alt+T or searching for ‘Terminal’ in the application menu. To list all files (including hidden f...
Here is a list that contains one of the most used Linux commands, and a short explanation for them: ls – list – lists files and directories, can be used with a lot of options like: -a, -R, -l, -g, -r; pwd – print working directory – shows the path of the curre...