Kali Linux Command Cheat Sheet
| by zeindevs

Kali Linux Command Cheat Sheet

Kali Linux command cheat sheet. All basic commands from A to Z in Kali Linux has been listed below.

A

  • aprops : Search Help manual pages (man -k)

  • apt-get : Search for and install software packages (Debian/Ubuntu)

  • aptitude : Search for and install software packages (Debian/Ubuntu)

  • aspell : Spell Checker

  • awk : Find and Replace text, database sort/validate/index

B

  • basename : Strip directory and suffix from filenames

  • bash : GNU Bourne-Again Shell

  • cat : Concatenate and print (display) the content of files

  • cd : Change Directory

  • cfdisk : Partition table manipulator for Linux

  • chgrp : Change group ownership

  • chmod : Change access permissions

  • chown : Change file owner and group

  • chroot : Run a command with a different root directory

  • chkconfig : System services (runlevel)

  • cksum : Print CRC checksum and byte counts

  • clear : Clear terminal screen

  • cmp : Compare two files

  • comm : Compare two sorted files line by line

  • command : Run a command - ignoring shell functions

  • continue : Resume the next iteration of a loop

  • cp : Copy one or more files to another location

  • cron : Daemon to execute scheduled commands

  • crontab : Schedule a command to run at a later time

  • csplit : Split a file into context-determined pieces

  • cut : Divide a file into several parts

D

  • date : Display or change the date & time

  • dc : Desk Calculator

  • dd : Convert and copy a file, write disk headers, boot records

  • ddrescue : Data recovery tool

  • declare : Declare variables and give them attributes

  • df : Display free disk space

  • diff : Display the differences between two files

  • diff3 : Show differences among three files

  • dig : DNS lookup

  • dir : Briefly list directory contents

  • dircolors : Color setup for ‘ls’

  • dirname : Convert a full pathname to just a path

  • dirs : Display list of remembered directories

  • dmesg : Print kernel & driver messages

  • du : Estimate file space usage

E

  • echo : Display message on screen

  • egrep : Search file(s) for lines that match an extended expression

  • eject : Eject removable media

  • enable : Enable and disable builtin shell commands

  • env : Environment variables

  • ethtool : Ethernet card settings

  • eval : Evaluate several commands/arguments

  • exec : execute a command

  • exit : Exit the shell

  • expect : Automate arbitray applications accessed over a terminal

  • expand : Convert tabs to spaces

  • export : Set an environment variable

  • expr : Evaluate expressions

F

  • false : Do nothing, unsuccessfully

  • fdformat : Low-lever format a floppy disk

  • fdisk : Partition table manipulator for Linux

  • fg : Send job to foreground

  • fgrep : Search file(s) for lines that match a fixed string

  • file : Determine file type

  • find : Search for files that meet a desired criteria

  • fmt : Reformat paragraph text

  • fold : Wrap text to fit a specified width.

  • for : Expand words, and execute commands

  • format : Format disks or tapes

  • free : Display memory usage

  • fsck : File system consistency check and repair

  • ftp : File Transfer Protocol

  • function : Define Function Macros

  • fuser : Identify/kill the process that is accessing a file

G

  • gawk : Find and Replace text within file(s)

  • getopts : Parse positional parameters

  • grep : Search file(s) for lines that much a given pattern

  • groupadd : add a user security group

  • groupdel : Delete a group

  • groupmod : Modify a group

  • groups : Print group names a user is in

  • gzip : Compress or decompress named file(s)

H

  • hash : Remember the full pathname of a name argument

  • head : Output the first part of file(s)

  • help : Display help for a built-in command

  • history : Command History

  • hostname : Print or set system name

I

  • iconv : Convert the character set of a file

  • id : Print user and group id’s

  • if : Conditionally perform a command

  • ifconfig : Configure a network interface

  • ifdown :Stop a network interface

  • ifup : Start a network interface up

  • import : Capture an X server scree and save the image to file

  • install : Copy files and set attributes

J

  • jobs : List active jobs

  • join : Join lines on a common field

K

  • kill : Stop a process from running

  • killall : Kill processes by name

L

  • less : Display output one screen at a time

  • let : Perform arithmetic on shell variables

  • ln : Create a symbolic link to a file

  • local : Create variables

  • locate : Find files

  • logname : Print current login name

  • logout : Exit a login shell

  • lool : Display line beginning with a given string

  • lpc : Line printer control program

  • lpr : Off line print

  • iprint : Print a file

  • lprintd : About a print job

  • Iprintq : list the print queue

  • lprm : Remove jobs from the print queue

  • ls : list information about file(s)

  • lsof : List open files

M

  • make : Recompile a group of programs

  • man : Help manual

  • mkdir : Create new folder(s)

  • mkfifo : Make FIFOs (name pipes)

  • mkisofs : Create an hybrid ISO9660/JOLIET/HFS filesystem

  • mknod : Make block character special files

  • more : Display output one screen at a time

  • mount : Mount a file system

  • mtools : Manipulate MS-DOS files

  • mtr : Network diagnostics (traceroute/ping)

  • mv : Move or rename files or directories

  • mmv : Mass Move and rename (files)

N

  • netstat : Network information

  • nice : Set the priority of a command or job

  • nl : Number lines and write files

  • nohup : Run a command immune to hangups

  • notify-send : Send desktop notifications

  • nslookup : Query Internet name servers interactively

O

  • open : Open a file in it’s default application

  • op : Operator access

P

  • passwd : Modify a user password

  • paste : Merge lines of files

  • pathchk : Check filename portability

  • ping : Test a network connection

  • pkill : Stop processes from running

  • popd : Restore the previous value of the current directory

  • pr : Prepare files for printing

  • printcap : Printer capability database

  • printenv : Print environment variables

  • printf : Format and print data

  • ps : Process status

  • pushd : Save and then change the current directory

  • pwd : Print Working Directory

Q

  • quota : Display disk usage and limits

  • quotacheck : Scan a file system for disk usage

  • quatactl : Set disk quotas

R

  • ram : Ram disk device

  • rcp : Copy files between two machines

  • read : read a line from standard input

  • readarry : Read from stdin into an array variable

  • readonly : Mark variables/functions as readonly

  • reboot : Reboot the system

  • rename : Rename files

  • renice : Alter priority of running processes

  • remsync : Synchronize remote files vie email

  • return : Exit a shell function

  • rev : Reverse lines of a file

  • rm : Remove files

  • rmdir : Remove folder(s)

  • rsync : Remote file copy (Synchronize file trees)

S

  • screen : Multiplex terminal, run remote shells via ssh

  • scp : Secure copy (remote file copy)

  • sdiff : Merge two file interactively

  • sed : Stream Editor

  • select : Accept keyboard input

  • seq : Print numeric sequences

  • set : Manipulate shell variables and functions

  • sftp : Secure File Transfer Program

  • shift: Shift positional parameters

  • shopt : Shell Options

  • shutdown : Shutdown or restart Linux

  • sleep : Delay for a specified time

  • slocate : Find files

  • sort : Sort text files

  • source : Run commands from a file ’.’

  • split : Split a file into fixed-size pieces

  • ssh : Secure Shell client (remote login program)

  • strace : Trace System calls and signals

  • su : Substitute user identity

  • sudo : Execute a command as another user

  • sum : Print a checksum for a file

  • suspend : Suspend execution of this shell

  • symlink : Make a new name for a file

  • sync : Synchronize data on disk with memory

T

  • tail : Output the last part of file

  • tar : Tape Archiver

  • tee : redirect output to multiple files

  • test : Evaluate a conditional expression

  • time : Measure Program running time

  • times : User and system times

  • touch : Change file timestamps

  • top : List process running on the system

  • traceroute : Trace Route to Host

  • trap : Run a command when a signal is set(bourne)

  • tr : Translate, Squeeze, and/or delete characters

  • true : Do nothing, successfully

  • tsort : Topological sort

  • tty : Print filename of terminal on stdin

  • type : Describe a command

U

  • ulimit : Limit user resources

  • umask : Users file creation mask

  • umount : Unmount a device

  • unalias : Remove an alias

  • uname : Print system information

  • unexpand : Convert spaces to tabs

  • uniq : Uniquify files

  • units : Convert units from one scale to another

  • unset : Remove variable or function names

  • unshar : Unpack shell archive scripts

  • until : Execute commands (until error)

  • uptime : Show uptime

  • useradd : Create new user account

  • userdel : Delete a user account

  • usermod : Modify user account

  • users : List users currently logged in

  • uuencode : Encode a binary file

  • uudecode : Decode a file created by uuencode

V

  • v : Verbosely list directory contents (‘ls -l -b’)

  • vdir : Verbosely list directory contents (‘ls -l -b’)

  • vi : Text Editor

  • vmstat : Report virtual memory statistics

W

  • wait : Wait for a process to complete

  • watch : Execute/display a program periodically

  • wc : Print byte, word, and line counts

  • whereis : Search the user’s ‘$path’, man pages and source files for a program

  • which : Search the user’s ‘$path’ for a program file

  • while : Execute commands

  • who : Print all usernames currently logged in

  • whoami : Print the current user id and name (‘id -in’)

  • wget : Retrieve web pages or files via HTTP, HTTPS or FTP

  • write : Send a message to another user

X

  • xargs : Execute utility, passing constructed argument list(s)

  • xdg-open : Open a file or URL in the user’s preferred application