- 1How to Create a File in Linux
- 2How to Rename a File in Linux
- 3How to Copy a File in Linux
- 4How to Move a File in Linux
- 5How to Delete a File in Linux
- 6How to Create a Directory in Linux
- 7How to Delete a Directory in Linux
- 8How to Copy Directories Recursively in Linux
- 9Delete Directories Recursively in Linux
- 10How to View Hidden Files in Linux
- 11How to Create a Hidden File in Linux
- 12How to Create a Hidden Directory in Linux
- 13How to Find Files in Linux Using find Command
- 14Find Files in Linux Using locate Command
- 15How to View File Contents Using cat in Linux
- 16How to View File Contents Using less in Linux
- 17View File Contents Using the more Command in Linux
- 18Compare Files Using diff Command in Linux
- 19Compare Files in Linux Using cmp Command
- 20Check File Type in Linux with file Command
- 21Create Symbolic Links with ln -s in Linux
- 22How to Archive Files Using tar Command in Linux
- 23Compress Files with gzip in Linux – Beginner Tutorial
- 24How to Compress Files Using bzip2 in Linux
- 25Compress Files in Linux Using zip Command
- 26Extract Compressed Files using tar in Linux
- 27Extract ZIP Files on Linux with unzip
- 28How to Extract .gz Files using gunzip in Linux
How to View Hidden Files in Linux
How to View Hidden Files in Linux
In this tutorial, we're going to learn how to view hidden files in Linux.
If you're coming from a Windows or macOS background, you might be used to clicking a checkbox to show hidden files. But in Linux, it's mostly done through the terminal—and it's just as easy once you know how.
What Are Hidden Files?
In Linux, any file or folder whose name starts with a dot (.
) is considered hidden. These are usually configuration files, system files, or user-specific settings like:
.bashrc
.gitconfig
.vimrc
They don’t show up by default when you list files with the ls
command. But don’t worry—we’ll fix that now.
View Hidden Files in the Terminal
The command you’re looking for is this:
ls -a
The -a
stands for all, and it tells Linux to include hidden files in the list.
Try it in any directory. For example, go to your home directory and run:
cd ~
ls -a
You’ll see output like this:
.bashrc .cache .config Documents Downloads
Now you can see all the dot files and folders. 🎉
🧼 Want to Skip .
and ..
?
By default, ls -a
also shows .
(current directory) and ..
(parent directory). If you want to view hidden files but skip those, use:
ls -A
That’s a capital A, and it shows all files except .
and ..
.
🖥️ View Hidden Files in a Graphical File Manager
If you’re using a desktop environment like GNOME or KDE, you can also view hidden files graphically.
- GNOME (e.g., Ubuntu): Press
Ctrl + H
in the file manager. - KDE (e.g., Kubuntu): Press
Alt + .
or find the “Show Hidden Files” option in the menu.
Press the same key combo again to hide them.
📌 Recap
- Use
ls -a
to see hidden files in terminal - Use
ls -A
to exclude.
and..
- Use keyboard shortcuts like
Ctrl + H
in file managers
And that's it! You now know how to reveal the hidden secrets of your Linux system. 🔍
If you're enjoying this course, make sure to like and follow for more beginner-friendly Linux tutorials.
Next Topic ⮕How to Create a Hidden File in Linux
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