Bash Terminal Cheat Sheet
Md. Aminul Islam•
Post Date:22 Feb 2026 - 11:23 AM
As a developer, the Bash Terminal is one of my most frequently used tools. It allows me to navigate projects, create files, manage folders, and run development servers efficiently.
This cheat sheet contains the most useful Bash commands I use in my daily workflow.
1. Navigation Commands
These commands help move between directories.
Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
pwd | Show current directory path | pwd |
ls | List files and folders | ls |
ls -a | Show hidden files | ls -a |
cd foldername | Go into folder | cd src |
cd .. | Go to parent folder | cd .. |
cd ~ | Go to home directory | cd ~ |
clear | Clear terminal screen | clear |
Example:
2. Folder Creation Commands
Used to create project folder structures.
Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
mkdir foldername | Create folder | mkdir src |
mkdir folder1 folder2 | Create multiple folders | mkdir components utils |
mkdir -p folder/subfolder | Create nested folders | mkdir -p src/components/ui |
mkdir -p src/{app,modules,middlewares} | Create multiple nested folders | Creates structured folders |
Example:
3. File Creation Commands
Used to create files quickly.
Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
touch filename | Create file | touch index.js |
touch file1 file2 | Create multiple files | touch app.js server.js |
touch folder/file | Create file inside folder | touch src/app.ts |
touch folder/{a,b,c}.js | Create multiple named files | Creates 3 files |
touch file{1..5}.txt | Create numbered files | Creates file1 to file5 |
Example:
4. File and Folder Delete Commands
Used to remove files and folders.
Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
rm filename | Delete file | rm app.js |
rm file1 file2 | Delete multiple files | rm app.js server.js |
rm -r foldername | Delete folder | rm -r src |
rm -rf foldername | Force delete folder | rm -rf node_modules |
⚠️ Warning:
rm -rf deletes permanently.5. Move and Rename Commands
Used to organize project files.
Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
mv old new | Rename file | mv app.js main.js |
mv oldfolder newfolder | Rename folder | mv src source |
mv file folder/ | Move file | mv app.js src/ |
mv *.js src/ | Move all JS files | Move multiple files |
Example:
6. File Listing Commands
Used to view folder contents.
Command | Description |
|---|---|
ls | List files |
ls -l | Detailed list |
ls -a | Show hidden files |
ls -la | Detailed + hidden |
Example:
7. Project Structure Creation (Real Developer Example)
Backend project structure creation:
Result:
8. Useful Development Commands
These commands are commonly used in Node.js and web development.
Command | Description |
|---|---|
npm init -y | Initialize project |
npm install package | Install package |
npm run dev | Run development server |
node server.js | Run Node.js file |
git init | Initialize Git |
git add . | Add all files |
git commit -m "message" | Commit changes |
Example:
9. My Most Frequently Used Commands (Daily Workflow)
These are the commands I personally use the most:


