Whether you’re managing your own homelab, deploying services on a VPS, or learning Linux system administration, mastering the command line is a must. This article provides a clean and practical reference of essential Ubuntu commands, organized by category — from system updates and user management to networking and service control.
You can bookmark this page or download the commands as a quick-reference sheet for your daily Linux work.
🔄 System Update and Upgrade
Keep your Ubuntu system up to date and clean:
sudo apt update # Refresh package list
sudo apt upgrade # Upgrade all packages
sudo apt dist-upgrade # Full system upgrade
sudo apt autoremove # Remove unused dependencies
sudo apt autoclean # Clean old cached files
📦 Package Management
Install, remove, and manage software:
sudo apt install <package> # Install a package
sudo apt remove <package> # Remove a package
sudo apt purge <package> # Remove with configuration
apt list –installed # List installed packages
dpkg -l # Another method to list packages
🖥️ System Information and Resource Usage
Check system status, disk, memory, and more:
uname -a # Kernel version
lsb_release -a # Ubuntu version
uptime # System uptime
top # Real-time process monitor
htop # Enhanced system monitor (install separately)
free -h # Memory usage
df -h # Disk usage
du -sh /path # Folder size
🌐 Network Tools
Diagnose and manage networking:
ip a # View IP addresses
ip r # Routing table
ping google.com # Test connectivity
traceroute google.com # Trace network path (install: traceroute)
netstat -tulnp # Open ports and services (install: net-tools)
ss -tuln # Native port scanner
curl ifconfig.me # Get public IP
👤 User and Permission Management
Create and manage users and permissions:
sudo adduser newuser # Create user
sudo usermod -aG sudo newuser # Grant sudo rights
passwd # Change password
chmod 755 script.sh # Set file permissions
chown user:group file.txt # Change file owner
📁 File and Directory Operations
Basic file system commands:
ls -la # List with details
cd /path # Change directory
cp file.txt /destination/ # Copy file
mv file.txt /newname.txt # Move or rename
rm file.txt # Delete file
rm -r folder/ # Remove folder
mkdir newdir # Create folder
nano file.txt # Edit with nano
cat file.txt # Show file content
tail -f /var/log/syslog # Follow system logs
⚙️ Service Management with systemd
Control background services and daemons:
sudo systemctl status nginx # Check service status
sudo systemctl start nginx # Start service
sudo systemctl stop nginx # Stop service
sudo systemctl restart nginx # Restart service
sudo systemctl enable nginx # Enable on boot
sudo systemctl disable nginx # Disable from boot
🧰 Disk and Partition Tools
Manage drives and partitions:
lsblk # Block devices overview
fdisk -l # List partitions
mount /dev/sdX1 /mnt # Mount device
umount /mnt # Unmount
🔐 SSH and Remote Access
Secure shell access and remote file transfer:
sudo apt install openssh-server # Install SSH server
sudo systemctl enable ssh # Enable SSH at boot
sudo systemctl start ssh # Start SSH service
ssh user@ip-address # Connect to remote system
scp file user@remote:/path/ # Copy file over SSH
🧹 System Maintenance
Clean logs and unnecessary files:
journalctl –vacuum-time=7d # Clean logs older than 7 days
sudo apt autoremove && sudo apt autoclean
🧪 Development & Tools
Useful for coding and compiling:
sudo apt install build-essential # Install compiler tools
gcc program.c -o program # Compile C file
python3 script.py # Run Python script
✅ Bonus: Snap and Flatpak Support
If you’re using modern package systems:
sudo snap install <package> # Install Snap package
sudo flatpak install <package> # Install Flatpak app
Final Thoughts
This cheat sheet reflects my daily toolkit when working with Ubuntu on virtual machines, Proxmox containers, or dedicated servers. Whether you’re building a web server, a cloud platform, or simply exploring Linux, these commands form the foundation of system administration.
