ls - List Files in Linux

From the Linux Essential Commands cheat sheet · File & Directory Operations · verified Jul 2026

ls - List Files

List directory contents with various formatting options

bash
# List files
ls
ls -l          # Long format with details
ls -la         # Include hidden files
ls -lh         # Human-readable sizes (KB, MB, GB)
ls -lt         # Sort by modification time
ls -lS         # Sort by file size
ls -R          # Recursive - show subdirectories
✅ -l shows permissions, owner, size, and modification date
💡 -a includes hidden files (starting with .)
🔍 Combine flags: -lah for detailed, human-readable, with hidden files
filesdirectorylistbasic

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