File Operations

Commands for creating, copying, moving, and deleting files and directories.

Create and Copy

Command	Description	Examples
mkdir <dir>	Create directory	mkdir folder1 mkdir -p parent/child (nested)
cp <src> <dest>	Copy file or directory	cp file1.txt backup.txt cp file.txt /home/user/ cp -r dir1 dir2 (directories)

Move and Rename

Command	Description	Examples
mv <src> <dest>	Move or rename	mv file.txt newname.txt (rename) mv file.txt /home/user/ (move)

Delete

Command	Description	Examples
rm <file>	Remove file/directory	rm file.txt rm -r folder/ (recursive)
rmdir <dir>	Remove empty directory	rmdir empty_folder

Warning

Commands that write to files (cp, mv, rm) will overwrite existing files without warning. There is no undo button—be deliberate with these commands.

Common Patterns

ls -la                 # List all (including hidden)
cp source dest         # Copy
mv old new             # Move/rename
rm file                # Delete (be careful!)
rm -r dir              # Delete directory
mkdir -p a/b/c         # Create nested directories

Tips

• Always double-check paths before running rm

• Use rm -i for interactive confirmation before deleting

• cp -i prompts before overwriting files

• Test commands with ls first to verify paths