Command Reference
A categorized collection of essential commands and shortcuts for developers. Your quick reference for tools, environments, and workflows.
Bash
| Command | Description |
|---|
| ls | List directory contents |
| cd | Change directory |
| pwd | Print working directory |
| mkdir | Create a new directory |
| rm -rf | Remove files or directories recursively |
| touch | Create an empty file |
| cp | Copy files or directories |
| mv | Move or rename files or directories |
| grep | Search for patterns within files |
| chmod | Change file permissions |
| chown | Change file owner and group |
| tail -f | Follow logs in real-time |
Git
| Command | Description |
|---|
| git clone | Clone a repository |
| git status | Check the status of the repository |
| git commit -m | Commit changes with a message |
| git pull | Fetch and merge changes from remote |
| git push | Push changes to the remote repository |
| git checkout -b | Create a new branch and switch to it |
| git rebase | Reapply commits on top of another base tip |
| git merge | Merge a branch into the current branch |
| git log | View commit history |
| git diff | Show changes between commits, commit and working tree, etc. |
Docker
| Command | Description |
|---|
| docker ps | List running containers |
| docker stop | Stop a running container |
| docker start | Start a stopped container |
| docker exec -it <container_id> bash | Open an interactive terminal inside a container |
| docker build -t <tag> . | Build a Docker image from the current directory |
| docker-compose up | Start services defined in a docker-compose.yml file |
VS Code
| Command | Description |
|---|
| Cmd + Shift + P | Open command palette |
| Cmd + B | Toggle sidebar visibility |
| Cmd + P | Quick file navigation |
| Cmd + / | Comment/uncomment selected line(s) |
| Cmd + Shift + F | Find in all files |
| Cmd + ` | Open integrated terminal |
NPM
| Command | Description |
|---|
| npm install | Install dependencies |
| npm run <script> | Run a script defined in package.json |
| npm start | Start the project (usually for dev server) |
| npm audit | Check for vulnerabilities in the installed dependencies |
| npm outdated | Check for outdated dependencies |
Node.js
| Command | Description |
|---|
| node <file.js> | Run a JavaScript file with Node.js |
| npm run dev | Start the development server |
| node --inspect | Start Node.js in debugging mode |
Shell
| Command | Description |
|---|
| history | View the command history |
| alias | Create a shortcut for a command |
| clear | Clear the terminal screen |
PostgreSQL
| Command | Description |
|---|
| psql -U <user> -d <database> | Connect to a PostgreSQL database |
| SELECT * FROM <table>; | Query all rows from a table |
| dt | List all tables in the current database |
| pg_dump <db_name> > backup.sql | Backup a PostgreSQL database |
Kubernetes
| Command | Description |
|---|
| kubectl get pods | List all pods in the current namespace |
| kubectl describe pod <pod_name> | Describe a specific pod |
| kubectl logs <pod_name> | View logs of a pod |
| kubectl apply -f <file.yaml> | Apply configuration from a YAML file |
Linux
| Command | Description |
|---|
| top | View system processes |
| htop | Interactive process viewer (better than top) |
| df -h | Check disk space usage |
| free -h | Check system memory usage |
| uptime | Display system uptime |
Regex
| Command | Description |
|---|
| /^\d+$/ | Matches a string that contains only digits |
| /^\w+$/ | Matches a string that contains only alphanumeric characters |
| /\b(?:foo|bar)\b/ | Matches the words 'foo' or 'bar' |
Systemd
| Command | Description |
|---|
| systemctl status <service> | Check the status of a service |
| systemctl restart <service> | Restart a system service |
| systemctl enable <service> | Enable a service to start on boot |
General
| Command | Description |
|---|
| curl -O <url> | Download a file from a URL |
| wget <url> | Download files from the web |
| tar -xvf <file.tar> | Extract a tarball |
| zip -r <file.zip> <dir> | Zip a directory |
AWS
| Command | Description |
|---|
| aws s3 ls | List S3 buckets |
| aws s3 cp <file> s3://<bucket> | Copy file to S3 bucket |
| aws ec2 describe-instances | List EC2 instances |
| aws logs tail <log-group> | Tail CloudWatch logs |
Python
| Command | Description |
|---|
| pip install <package> | Install a Python package |
| python -m venv <env_name> | Create virtual environment |
| source <env>/bin/activate | Activate virtual environment |
| python -m pytest | Run tests with pytest |
| python -m http.server | Start simple HTTP server |
React
| Command | Description |
|---|
| npx create-react-app <name> | Create new React app |
| npx create-next-app <name> | Create new Next.js app |
| npm run build | Build production bundle |
| npm run test | Run test suite |
Database
| Command | Description |
|---|
| mongosh | Connect to MongoDB shell |
| redis-cli | Connect to Redis CLI |
| mysql -u <user> -p | Connect to MySQL |
Network
| Command | Description |
|---|
| ping <host> | Test network connectivity |
| netstat -tulpn | Show listening ports |
| ss -tulpn | Modern alternative to netstat |
| nslookup <domain> | DNS lookup |
| curl -I <url> | Get HTTP headers only |