---
layout: page
category-title: Basic commands
category-page: basic
tags: directory list
author: Alessandro Marinelli
title: ls
previous-page: pages/cmd/basic/cd.html
---

<p>The <code>ls</code> command is used to list a directory content or a file.<br>
  The name stands for <i>LiSt</i>.
  <h2>Syntax</h2>
  <p>The default ls command syntax is:
    <pre>ls [flags] [path]</pre>
    Where [flags] are the ls flags, read below for more info,and [path] is the
    (optional) path (absolute or relative).If no path is provided the current
    directory is listed.</p>
  <h2>Usage</h2> <br>
  <h3> List the elements on the current working directory </h3>
  <p> Let's see how to show a list containing the elements included in the
    current working directory</p>
  <pre>
  Device-name:Multimedia.Folder YourName$ ls
  Other Multimedia		This is a file,not a folder.jpg
  Photos				Videos
</pre>
  <p> As you can see, typing <code> ls</code> in the Unix Shell, will give as output
    the list of elements contained in the actual working directory,which,in our case, is a folder named <u><code>Multimedia.folder</code></u>.<br>
    Elements listed can be files (look for exemple at the element<u><code> This is a file,not a folder.jpg</code></u>),
    such as other directories
    (look for example at the folder <u> <code> Photos</code></u> ).
    <h3> List  the elements contained in a directory </h3>
    <pre>
    Device-name:Multimedia.Folder YourName$ ls Photos
    01.jpg		02.jpg
    03.jpg		04.jpg
  </pre>
  <p> As you can see, now the Unix Shell is showing us the elements contained
    in the folder <u> <code> Photos</code></u>. </p>
    <p> <storng> Notice: </strong> <u> <code> Photos</code></u> is a valid path
      because it is actually the relative path of a folder contained in the current working directory.<br>
      You have to put the absolute path if you want to list elements which are not contained in the
      current working directory </p>

  <h3> Show hidden files </h3>
  <p> You can include hidden files (those  which name starts with ".") in  the displayed list using the <u><code>-a</code></u> flag </p>
  <pre>
Device-name:Multimedia.Folder YourName$ ls -a Photos
.				01.png
..				02.png
.DS_Store			03.png
.secret.png			04.jpg
  </pre>
  <p>As you can see, now the SHELL shows more files for the same directory</p>

  <h3> Show list in long format </h3>
  <pre>
Device-Name:Photos YourName$ ls -l
total 10816
-rw-r--r--@ 1 YourName  YourGroup  3143706  4 Ott 13:28 01.png
-rw-r--r--@ 1 YourName  YourGroup  2269193 28 Ott 18:58 02.png
-rw-r--r--@ 1 YourName  YourGroup  37900   28 Ott 22:07 03.png
-rw-r--r--@ 1 YourName  YourGroup  75924   20 Ott 16:01 04.jpg
</pre>
    <p>     If the <u><code>-l</code></u> flag is given, the following information will be displayed for
     each file: file mode, number of links, owner name, group name, number of
     bytes in the file, abbreviated month, day-of-month file was last modi-
     fied, hour file last modified, minute file last modified, and the path-
     name.  In addition, for each directory whose contents are displayed, the
     total number of 512-byte blocks used by the files in the directory is
     displayed on a line by itself, immediately before the information for the
     files in the directory. </p>