Howto: Display Directory Contents Using ls

Use ls to display the contents of a directory:

~ fergie$ ls
Desktop                 Movies                  Pictures
Documents               Music                   Public
Library                 Opera 7 Preferences.new Sites

Use the -l flag by typing ls -l to get more details on the files and directories:

~ fergie$ ls -l 
total 0
drwx------    26 fergie  fergie   884 May 28 12:02 Desktop
drwx------     4 fergie  fergie   136 Feb  1 15:54 Documents
drwx------    29 fergie  fergie   986 Feb  1 16:19 Library
drwx------     3 fergie  fergie   102 Dec 20 18:20 Movies
drwx------     3 fergie  fergie   102 Dec 20 18:20 Music
-rw-r--r--     1 root    fergie     0 Feb  1 16:01 Opera 7 Preferences.new
drwx------   185 fergie  fergie  6290 Feb 27 15:35 Pictures
drwxr-xr-x     5 fergie  fergie   170 Feb 27 10:42 Public
drwxr-xr-x     5 fergie  fergie   170 Dec 20 18:20 Sites

Add the -a flag by typing ls -la to show 'hidden' items generally, but not exclusively, used to store configuration information. Hidden items are prefixed with a period- for example .Trash:

~ fergie$ ls -la
total 40
drwxr-xr-x    17 fergie  fergie   578 Feb  6 15:45 .
drwxrwxr-t     7 root    admin    238 Jan 31 17:21 ..
-rw-r--r--     1 fergie  fergie     3 Dec 20 18:20 .CFUserTextEncoding
-rw-r--r--     1 fergie  fergie  6148 Feb 27 17:30 .DS_Store
drwx------    28 fergie  fergie   952 May 24 17:09 .Trash
-rw-------     1 fergie  fergie  1252 May 28 11:48 .bash_history
-rw-r--r--     1 fergie  fergie    13 Feb  6 15:45 .lpoptions
drwx------     3 fergie  fergie   102 Dec 20 20:18 .ssh
drwx------    26 fergie  fergie   884 May 28 12:02 Desktop
drwx------     4 fergie  fergie   136 Feb  1 15:54 Documents
drwx------    29 fergie  fergie   986 Feb  1 16:19 Library
drwx------     3 fergie  fergie   102 Dec 20 18:20 Movies
drwx------     3 fergie  fergie   102 Dec 20 18:20 Music
-rw-r--r--     1 root    fergie     0 Feb  1 16:01 Opera 7 Preferences.new
drwx------   185 fergie  fergie  6290 Feb 27 15:35 Pictures
drwxr-xr-x     5 fergie  fergie   170 Feb 27 10:42 Public
drwxr-xr-x     5 fergie  fergie   170 Dec 20 18:20 Sites

To order by time of most recent update add the -t flag:

~ fergie$ ls -lat
total 40
drwx------    26 fergie  fergie   884 May 28 12:02 Desktop
-rw-------     1 fergie  fergie  1252 May 28 11:48 .bash_history
drwx------    28 fergie  fergie   952 May 24 17:09 .Trash
-rw-r--r--     1 fergie  fergie  6148 Feb 27 17:30 .DS_Store
drwx------   185 fergie  fergie  6290 Feb 27 15:35 Pictures
drwxr-xr-x     5 fergie  fergie   170 Feb 27 10:42 Public
drwxr-xr-x    17 fergie  fergie   578 Feb  6 15:45 .
-rw-r--r--     1 fergie  fergie    13 Feb  6 15:45 .lpoptions
drwx------    29 fergie  fergie   986 Feb  1 16:19 Library
-rw-r--r--     1 root    fergie     0 Feb  1 16:01 Opera 7 Preferences.new
drwx------     4 fergie  fergie   136 Feb  1 15:54 Documents
drwxrwxr-t     7 root    admin    238 Jan 31 17:21 ..
drwx------     3 fergie  fergie   102 Dec 20 20:18 .ssh
-rw-r--r--     1 fergie  fergie     3 Dec 20 18:20 .CFUserTextEncoding
drwx------     3 fergie  fergie   102 Dec 20 18:20 Movies
drwx------     3 fergie  fergie   102 Dec 20 18:20 Music
drwxr-xr-x     5 fergie  fergie   170 Dec 20 18:20 Sites

The -r flag reverses the order of any sorting, so adding it to the previous example would return a cronologically ordered list with the oldest item first:

~ fergie$ ls -latr
total 40
drwxr-xr-x     5 fergie  fergie   170 Dec 20 18:20 Sites
drwx------     3 fergie  fergie   102 Dec 20 18:20 Music
drwx------     3 fergie  fergie   102 Dec 20 18:20 Movies
-rw-r--r--     1 fergie  fergie     3 Dec 20 18:20 .CFUserTextEncoding
drwx------     3 fergie  fergie   102 Dec 20 20:18 .ssh
drwxrwxr-t     7 root    admin    238 Jan 31 17:21 ..
drwx------     4 fergie  fergie   136 Feb  1 15:54 Documents
-rw-r--r--     1 root    fergie     0 Feb  1 16:01 Opera 7 Preferences.new
drwx------    29 fergie  fergie   986 Feb  1 16:19 Library
-rw-r--r--     1 fergie  fergie    13 Feb  6 15:45 .lpoptions
drwxr-xr-x    17 fergie  fergie   578 Feb  6 15:45 .
drwxr-xr-x     5 fergie  fergie   170 Feb 27 10:42 Public
drwx------   185 fergie  fergie  6290 Feb 27 15:35 Pictures
-rw-r--r--     1 fergie  fergie  6148 Feb 27 17:30 .DS_Store
drwx------    28 fergie  fergie   952 May 24 17:09 .Trash
-rw-------     1 fergie  fergie  1252 May 28 11:48 .bash_history
drwx------    26 fergie  fergie   884 May 28 12:02 Desktop

-S (capitalised) sorts by size:

~ fergie$ ls -laS 
total 40
drwx------   185 fergie  fergie  6290 Feb 27 15:35 Pictures
-rw-r--r--     1 fergie  fergie  6148 Feb 27 17:30 .DS_Store
-rw-------     1 fergie  fergie  1252 May 28 11:48 .bash_history
drwx------    29 fergie  fergie   986 Feb  1 16:19 Library
drwx------    28 fergie  fergie   952 May 24 17:09 .Trash
drwx------    26 fergie  fergie   884 May 28 12:02 Desktop
drwxr-xr-x    17 fergie  fergie   578 Feb  6 15:45 .
drwxrwxr-t     7 root    admin    238 Jan 31 17:21 ..
drwxr-xr-x     5 fergie  fergie   170 Feb 27 10:42 Public
drwxr-xr-x     5 fergie  fergie   170 Dec 20 18:20 Sites
drwx------     4 fergie  fergie   136 Feb  1 15:54 Documents
drwx------     3 fergie  fergie   102 Dec 20 20:18 .ssh
drwx------     3 fergie  fergie   102 Dec 20 18:20 Movies
drwx------     3 fergie  fergie   102 Dec 20 18:20 Music
-rw-r--r--     1 fergie  fergie    13 Feb  6 15:45 .lpoptions
-rw-r--r--     1 fergie  fergie     3 Dec 20 18:20 .CFUserTextEncoding
-rw-r--r--     1 root    fergie     0 Feb  1 16:01 Opera 7 Preferences.new

...and -h makes those sizes human readable:

~ fergie$ ls -laSh
total 40
drwx------   185 fergie  fergie    6K Feb 27 15:35 Pictures
-rw-r--r--     1 fergie  fergie    6K Feb 27 17:30 .DS_Store
-rw-------     1 fergie  fergie    1K May 28 11:48 .bash_history
drwx------    29 fergie  fergie  986B Feb  1 16:19 Library
drwx------    28 fergie  fergie  952B May 24 17:09 .Trash
drwx------    26 fergie  fergie  884B May 28 12:02 Desktop
drwxr-xr-x    17 fergie  fergie  578B Feb  6 15:45 .
drwxrwxr-t     7 root    admin   238B Jan 31 17:21 ..
drwxr-xr-x     5 fergie  fergie  170B Feb 27 10:42 Public
drwxr-xr-x     5 fergie  fergie  170B Dec 20 18:20 Sites
drwx------     4 fergie  fergie  136B Feb  1 15:54 Documents
drwx------     3 fergie  fergie  102B Dec 20 20:18 .ssh
drwx------     3 fergie  fergie  102B Dec 20 18:20 Movies
drwx------     3 fergie  fergie  102B Dec 20 18:20 Music
-rw-r--r--     1 fergie  fergie   13B Feb  6 15:45 .lpoptions
-rw-r--r--     1 fergie  fergie    3B Dec 20 18:20 .CFUserTextEncoding
-rw-r--r--     1 root    fergie    0B Feb  1 16:01 Opera 7 Preferences.new

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