Files and Directories
mkdir creates directories and touch creates empty files. cp copies files, mv moves or renames them, and rm deletes them. Use rm -rf to delete directories — be very careful since there is no undo or recycle bin.
Creating and Managing Files mkdir photos # create directory
mkdir -p a/b/c # create nested dirs
touch file.txt # create empty file
rm file.txt # delete file
rm -rf folder/ # delete folder (careful!)
cp file.txt backup.txt # copy file
mv file.txt docs/ # move file
mv old.txt new.txt # rename file
Test your understanding before moving on
1. Which command creates a directory?
A. mkfile
B. mkdir
C. touch
D. create
💡 mkdir (make directory) creates a new directory.
2. Which creates nested directories at once?
A. mkdir -r
B. mkdir -n
C. mkdir -p
D. mkdir -f
💡 mkdir -p creates parent directories as needed: mkdir -p a/b/c.
3. touch file.txt does what?
A. Opens file in editor
B. Creates empty file (or updates timestamp)
C. Deletes file
D. Copies file
💡 touch creates an empty file if it doesn't exist, or updates its timestamp.
4. rm -rf folder does what?
A. Moves folder
B. Recursively force deletes folder (no confirmation!)
C. Renames folder
D. Compresses folder
💡 rm -rf recursively and forcefully deletes — no trash, no undo!
5. mv old.txt new.txt does what?
A. Copies file
B. Renames (moves) file
C. Duplicates file
D. Compresses file
💡 mv moves or renames files: mv source destination.