How to use dir command with Various Arguments and Options in Linux
To use dir command with Various Arguments and Options in Linux
dir command is used to view the contents of directory with various Arguments and options are explained with examples in this tutorial.
Syntax
dir [OPTION] [FILE]
The sample example for dir Command usage is as follows,
Output
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir /
bin dev home lib64 media opt root sbin sys usr
boot etc lib lost+found mnt proc run srv tmp var
To view the /home directory file
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir /home
user1
Another example to view /etc directory
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir /etc
abrt gssproxy profile
adjtime hba.conf profile.d
aliases highlight protocols
alsa host.conf pulse
alternatives hostname purple
anacrontab hosts qemu
In order to list single file per line, use -1 option as like below,
Without viewing single line in file
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir
Desktop Music Templates
Documents Pictures Videos
Downloads Public wkhtmltopdf-0.10.0_rc2-static-amd64.tar.bz2
With using single line file
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir -1
Desktop
Documents
Downloads
Music
Pictures
Public
Templates
Videos
To view all the files including hidden files in a directory
Use -a option,is used to view the hidden files and also can include -1 option to format output as like in the command line below.
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir -a . Desktop Music .. Documents Pictures .bash_history Downloads Public .bash_logout .esd_auth .ssh .bash_profile .gnupg Templates .bashrc .ICEauthority Videos .cache .local wkhtmltopdf-0.10.0_rc2-static-amd64.tar.bz2 .config .mozilla [user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir -al total 10888 drwx------. 16 user1 user1 4096 Mar 23 07:32 . drwxr-xr-x. 3 root root 4096 Sep 10 2015 .. -rw-------. 1 user1 user1 121 Mar 22 12:15 .bash_history -rw-r--r--. 1 user1 user1 18 Jan 23 2015 .bash_logout -rw-r--r--. 1 user1 user1 193 Jan 23 2015 .bash_profile -rw-r--r--. 1 user1 user1 231 Jan 23 2015 .bashrc drwx------. 18 user1 user1 4096 Mar 22 12:28 .cache drwx------. 15 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 19:58 .config drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Desktop drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4096 Mar 22 18:07 Documents drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Downloads
To view directory entries instead of content
We can use the -d option to show only directory entries and -dl option to show a long listing of the directory like, group owner, owner and permissions.
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir -d /etc
/etc
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir -dl /etc
drwxr-xr-x. 132 root root 12288 Mar 23 07:30 /etc
To view the file index number
We use the -i option to view the index or inode number of the file.
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir -il
total 10804
687460 drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Desktop
687464 drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4096 Mar 22 18:07 Documents
687461 drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Downloads
687465 drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Music
687466 drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Pictures
687463 drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Public
687462 drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Templates
687467 drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Videos
658856 -rw-rw-r--. 1 user1 user1 10995568 Jan 31 2011 wkhtmltopdf-0.10.0_rc2-static-amd64.tar.bz2
To list the files according to their allocated sizes in blocks
We use the -s option to view files sizes and -S option to sort files with respect to their size. Use -h option to show files in a human-readable format.
Output
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir -shl
total 11M
8.0K drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 21 14:22 Desktop
8.0K drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 22 18:07 Documents
8.0K drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 21 14:22 Downloads
8.0K drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 21 14:22 Music
8.0K drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 21 14:22 Pictures
8.0K drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 21 14:22 Public
8.0K drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 21 14:22 Templates
8.0K drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 21 14:22 Videos
11M -rw-rw-r--. 1 user1 user1 11M Jan 31 2011 wkhtmltopdf-0.10.0_rc2-static-amd64.tar.bz2
The first column shows the file size in Kilobyte.
Sort by file size using -S option.
Output
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir -Sshl
total 11M
11M -rw-rw-r--. 1 user1 user1 11M Jan 31 2011 wkhtmltopdf-0.10.0_rc2-static-amd64.tar.bz2
8.0K drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 21 14:22 Desktop
8.0K drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 22 18:07 Documents
8.0K drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 21 14:22 Downloads
8.0K drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 21 14:22 Music
Using -t option, we can sort the files according to modification time.
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir -ashlt
total 11M
8.0K drwx------. 16 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 23 07:32 .
8.0K -rw-------. 1 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 23 07:32 .ICEauthority
8.0K drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 22 18:07 Documents
8.0K drwx------. 18 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 22 12:28 .cache
8.0K -rw-------. 1 user1 user1 121 Mar 22 12:15 .bash_history
4.0K drwx------. 15 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 21 19:58 .config
4.0K drwx------. 2 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 21 16:55 .gnupg
4.0K drwxr-xr-x. 5 user1 user1 4.0K Mar 21 15:16 .mozilla
To show files without their owner or group owner
We have to use -g option to get the list of files without owner and -G option to get files without group owner.
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir -ahgG /home/user1/
total 11M
drwx------. 16 4.0K Mar 23 07:32 .
drwxr-xr-x. 3 4.0K Sep 10 2015 ..
-rw-------. 1 121 Mar 22 12:15 .bash_history
-rw-r--r--. 1 18 Jan 23 2015 .bash_logout
-rw-r--r--. 1 193 Jan 23 2015 .bash_profile
-rw-r--r--. 1 231 Jan 23 2015 .bashrc
drwx------. 18 4.0K Mar 22 12:28 .cache
If we need author of the file to display, then use &ndash author option.
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir -al --author
total 10888
drwx------. 16 user1 user1 user1 4096 Mar 23 07:32 .
drwxr-xr-x. 3 root root root 4096 Sep 10 2015 ..
-rw-------. 1 user1 user1 user1 121 Mar 22 12:15 .bash_history
-rw-r--r--. 1 user1 user1 user1 18 Jan 23 2015 .bash_logout
-rw-r--r--. 1 user1 user1 user1 193 Jan 23 2015 .bash_profile
-rw-r--r--. 1 user1 user1 user1 231 Jan 23 2015 .bashrc
drwx------. 18 user1 user1 user1 4096 Mar 22 12:28 .cache
drwx------. 15 user1 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 19:58 .config
drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Desktop
To list directories
Using -R option, we can also list in the sub directories files first.
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir -R
.:
Desktop Music Templates
Documents Pictures Videos
Downloads Public wkhtmltopdf-0.10.0_rc2-static-amd64.tar.bz2
./Desktop:
./Documents:
fedora update.odt wkhtmltopdf.odt
./Downloads:
./Music:
./Pictures:
./Public:
./Templates:
./Videos:
In output snap, (.) symbol is the current directory
To view IDs instead of user and group names
Using -n option, we can see the ids of user.
For example, without -n option.
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir -l --author
total 10804
drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Desktop
drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 user1 4096 Mar 22 18:07 Documents
drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Downloads
drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Music
drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Pictures
drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Public
drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Templates
drwxr-xr-x. 2 user1 user1 user1 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Videos
-rw-rw-r--. 1 user1 user1 user1 10995568 Jan 31 2011 wkhtmltopdf-0.10.0_rc2-static-amd64.tar.bz2
With -n option
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir -nl --author
total 10804
drwxr-xr-x. 2 1000 1000 1000 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Desktop
drwxr-xr-x. 2 1000 1000 1000 4096 Mar 22 18:07 Documents
drwxr-xr-x. 2 1000 1000 1000 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Downloads
drwxr-xr-x. 2 1000 1000 1000 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Music
drwxr-xr-x. 2 1000 1000 1000 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Pictures
drwxr-xr-x. 2 1000 1000 1000 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Public
drwxr-xr-x. 2 1000 1000 1000 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Templates
drwxr-xr-x. 2 1000 1000 1000 4096 Mar 21 14:22 Videos
-rw-rw-r--. 1 1000 1000 1000 10995568 Jan 31 2011 wkhtmltopdf-0.10.0_rc2-static-amd64.tar.bz2
To view entries spilted by commas
Using -m option, we can separate the entries as follows.
[user1@linuxhelp ~]$ dir -am
., .., .bash_history, .bash_logout, .bash_profile, .bashrc, .cache, .config,
Desktop, Documents, Downloads, .esd_auth, .gnupg, .ICEauthority, .local,
.mozilla, Music, Pictures, Public, .ssh, Templates, Videos,
wkhtmltopdf-0.10.0_rc2-static-amd64.tar.bz2
In dir command, for help use --help option and for version use --version option.