There are times when you need to see hidden files in Linux. Maybe you’re trying to troubleshoot a problem and need to see a hidden file that is causing an issue. Or, maybe you’re just trying to be thorough and make sure you haven’t missed anything. In any case, it’s helpful to know how to show hidden files in Linux. There are two ways to do this: using the command line or using a graphical interface. We’ll go over both methods in this blog post.
what are hidden files in Linux?
Hidden files are files that are not normally displayed. They are hidden from view for a variety of reasons, such as to protect the privacy of the user or to keep the contents of the file from being accidentally modified. The name of the hidden files usually starts with a period(.).
An example of a hidden file in Linux is the .bash_history file. This is a file that contains a list of all the commands that have been entered in the Bash shell. It’s hidden because it’s a system file and you don’t need to see it unless you’re troubleshooting a problem.
Show hidden files in Linux with ls command
The best way to show hidden files in Linux is using ls command with -a option. It is the quickest and easiest method. All you need to do is type in the following command: ls -a .This will show all of the files in your current directory, including hidden files.
If you want to see hidden files in a different directory, you can specify the path like this: ls -a /path/to/directory
For example, if I wanted to see all of the files in my home directory, I would type: ls -a ~
Show hidden files in Linux with find command
The find command can also be used to show hidden files in Linux. This is a little more complicated than using ls , but it can be more powerful.
To use the find command to show hidden files, you need to use the -type option. This option tells find which type of files you want to find. The most common type of file is a regular file, which is denoted by f . But there are other types of files, such as directories ( d ), symbolic links ( l ), and so on.
To show all hidden files, you would use the command: find / -type f -name ‘.*’ . This will search your entire filesystem for all hidden files.
For example, if I wanted to find all hidden files in my home directory, I would use the command: find -type f -name ‘.*’ -path ~/
You can also use the find command to show hidden files in a specific directory. To do this, you would use the command: find /path/to/directory -type f -name ‘.*’
For example, if I wanted to find all hidden files in my home directory, I would use the command: find ~/ -type f -name ‘.*’
List hidden files using GUI in Linux
Now let’s talk about how to show hidden files using a graphical interface. This method is probably best if you’re not comfortable using the terminal or if you just prefer using a GUI. In order to show hidden files in a GUI, you need to open your file manager and go to the View menu. Then, select the option for “Show Hidden Files”. This will make all hidden files visible in your file manager.
How to see the contents of a hidden file in Linux?
There are many ways to view the contents of a file in Linux. The most common way is to use the cat command. This command will print the contents of a file to the terminal. Other ways to view a file include using less, head, and tail.
What is the difference between a regular file and a hidden file in Linux?
A regular file is a file that can be seen in a directory listing. A hidden file is a file that is not shown in a directory listing. Hidden files are typically used for configuration purposes.
How to create a hidden file in Linux?
To create a hidden file, you need to use the touch command. This command will create a new file with the specified name. To create a hidden file, you need to use a period (.) as the first character of the filename. For example, to create a hidden file named .myfile, you would use the command:touch ~/.myfile
How to delete a hidden file in Linux?
To delete a hidden file, you need to use the rm command. This command will delete a file with the specified name. To delete a hidden file, you need to use a period (.) as the first character of the filename. For example, to delete a hidden file named .myfile, you would use the command:rm ~/.myfile
How to edit a hidden file in Linux?
There are many text editors that can be used to edit files in Linux. Some of the most popular editors include vi, vim, and emacs. To edit a hidden file, you need to use a period (.) as the first character of the filename. For example, to edit a hidden file named .myfile, you would use the command:vi ~/.myfile
What is the ls command in linux?
The ls command is a utility that lists the contents of a directory. It can be used to list files in the current directory, or all files in a given directory. The ls command has many options that can be used to customize its output.
What are some of the options that I can use with the ls command?
The -a option will show all files in a directory, including hidden files. The -l option will show more information about each file, such as its size and permissions. The -t option will sort the output by modification time.
That’s it! Now you know two ways to show hidden files in Linux. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below and we’ll do our best to help you out. Thanks for reading!