{"id":4522,"date":"2023-07-23T12:40:29","date_gmt":"2023-07-23T12:40:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/?p=4522"},"modified":"2024-10-14T20:19:01","modified_gmt":"2024-10-14T15:19:01","slug":"how-to-show-hidden-files-in-linux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/how-to-show-hidden-files-in-linux\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Show Hidden Files in Linux?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_74 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/how-to-show-hidden-files-in-linux\/#Introduction_to_Linux_and_Hidden_Files\" >Introduction to Linux and Hidden Files<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/how-to-show-hidden-files-in-linux\/#How_to_Show_Hidden_Files\" >How to Show Hidden Files?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/how-to-show-hidden-files-in-linux\/#Pay_Once_Host_Forever-Get_Your_Lifetime_Web_Hosting_Now\" >Pay Once, Host Forever-Get Your Lifetime Web Hosting Now!<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/how-to-show-hidden-files-in-linux\/#In_a_Graphical_User_Interface_Display_Hidden_Files_GUI\" >In a Graphical User Interface, Display Hidden Files (GUI)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/how-to-show-hidden-files-in-linux\/#Tips_for_Hiding_Files\" >Tips for Hiding Files<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/how-to-show-hidden-files-in-linux\/#Build_your_WordPress_website_%E2%80%93_The_Way_you_Want_It\" >Build your WordPress website &#8211; The Way you Want It<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/how-to-show-hidden-files-in-linux\/#In_a_graphical_interface_conceal_a_file_GUI\" >In a graphical interface, conceal a file (GUI)<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-8\" href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/how-to-show-hidden-files-in-linux\/#Password-Protected_Hidden_File_Creation\" >Password-Protected Hidden File Creation<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-9\" href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/how-to-show-hidden-files-in-linux\/#Using_the_graphical_user_interface_create_a_hidden_password-protected_file\" >Using the graphical user interface, create a hidden, password-protected file<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-10\" href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/how-to-show-hidden-files-in-linux\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Introduction_to_Linux_and_Hidden_Files\"><\/span>Introduction to Linux and Hidden Files<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Many of the delicate system files in <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Linux\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Linux<\/strong><\/a> are hidden by default. System or application files are typically hidden to prevent unintentional changes. You will learn How to Show Hidden Files in Linux? in this Article from our <a href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/\"><strong>blog<\/strong><\/a> to view and interact with hidden files in Linux by reading this guide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A Linux-running computer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Access to a command line or terminal window (optional)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Show_Hidden_Files\"><\/span><strong>How to Show Hidden Files?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><u>From the Command Line, Display Hidden Files<\/u><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><u>Enter the following command to display all files in a directory, including hidden ones:<\/u><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><code>ls \u2013a<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The current directory&#8217;s contents are listed by the ls command. All files, even hidden files, are listed using the -a switch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><u>To view the regular and hidden files in a directory other than the one where you are currently working:<\/u><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><code>\/etc ls -a<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>substitute any other directory for \/etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-call-to-action uagb-block-9fcffe6e wp-block-button uag-blocks-common-selector\" style=\"--z-index-desktop:479;;--z-index-tablet:undefined;;--z-index-mobile:undefined;\"><div class=\"uagb-cta__wrap\"><h2 class=\"uagb-cta__title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Pay_Once_Host_Forever-Get_Your_Lifetime_Web_Hosting_Now\"><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/lifetime-web-hosting\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/lifetime-web-hosting\/\">Pay Once, Host Forever-Get Your Lifetime Web Hosting Now!<\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p class=\"uagb-cta__desc\">Lifetime Hosting at a One-Time Price\u2014Rate Starting at just $70\/-<\/p><\/div><div class=\"uagb-cta__buttons\"><a href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/lifetime-web-hosting\/\" class=\"uagb-cta__button-link-wrapper wp-block-button__link\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Read More<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_a_Graphical_User_Interface_Display_Hidden_Files_GUI\"><\/span><strong>In a Graphical User Interface, Display Hidden Files (GUI)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>If you feel more comfortable working in Gnome, there is a straightforward approach to displaying hidden files (or any other graphical interface).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><code>Go to the directory you wish to view first.<\/code><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><code>Next, hit Ctrl+h.<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>If pressing Ctrl+h doesn&#8217;t work, select Show Hidden Files from the View menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>See the <a href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/linux-server-vs-windows-server\/\"><strong>Different Between Linux Server vs Windows Server<\/strong><\/a> to understand how Operating Systems work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Tips_for_Hiding_Files\"><\/span><strong>Tips for Hiding Files<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><u>Hide a directory or file How to Use the Linux Command Line. The mv (move) command can be used to mark a file as hidden.<\/u><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><iframe title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/jvwx_3g-eq4\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1: Make a test file first. Create a test.txt file that is empty by using the touch command:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><code>press test.txt<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>2: After that, relocate the file under a new filename to conceal it. The new filename begins with a period (.), indicating that it is hidden:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><code>txt -> test.txt<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>3: &nbsp;Display the contents of the current directory to confirm the file is now hidden:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><code>ls<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>4: List the contents now, taking into account hidden files:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><code>ls \u2013a<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In the second listing, test.txt should be visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-call-to-action uagb-block-4a1de1b0 wp-block-button uag-blocks-common-selector\" style=\"--z-index-desktop:479;;--z-index-tablet:undefined;;--z-index-mobile:undefined;\"><div class=\"uagb-cta__wrap\"><h2 class=\"uagb-cta__title\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Build_your_WordPress_website_%E2%80%93_The_Way_you_Want_It\"><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/wordpress-hosting\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/wordpress-hosting\/\">Build your WordPress website &#8211; The Way you Want It<\/a><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2><p class=\"uagb-cta__desc\">WordPress Hosting That Delivers &#8211; Get a Free SSL Certificate at just $0.99\/month<\/p><\/div><div class=\"uagb-cta__buttons\"><a href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/wordpress-hosting\/\" class=\"uagb-cta__button-link-wrapper wp-block-button__link\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Read More<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"In_a_graphical_interface_conceal_a_file_GUI\"><\/span><strong>In a graphical interface, conceal a file (GUI)<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><u><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>How to Show Hidden Files in Linux?<\/strong><\/span> A graphical interface can also be used to hide a file:<\/u><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Click the desired file using the right mouse button.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Next, choose Rename.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Add a period to the beginning of the filename to make it hidden.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>To conceal a directory, follow the same procedure. Want to learn about Man Command? See our detailed article on <a href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/man-command-in-linux\/\"><strong>Man Command in Linux<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Password-Protected_Hidden_File_Creation\"><\/span><strong>Password-Protected Hidden File Creation<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><u>From the command line, create a password-protected, hidden file:<\/u><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>1: Generate a new text file first before using the command line to create a hidden and password-protected archive file:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><code>access test2.txt<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>2: Then, encrypt and compress that file:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><code>zip test2.txt, zip \u2014encrypt<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>3: The file&#8217;s password must be entered and verified.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>4: Next, use the ls command; test2.zip should appear in the file list.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>5: Next, enter the following to make the.zip file hidden:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><code>transfer test2.zip to test2.zip<\/code><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>6: To make sure the file is truly hidden, run ls and ls -a.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Want to Learn How to Build Your Own Linux Kernel from Scratch? <a href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/build-your-own-linux-kernel-from-scratch\/\"><strong>Click here!<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Using_the_graphical_user_interface_create_a_hidden_password-protected_file\"><\/span><strong>Using the graphical user interface, create a hidden, password-protected file<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><u>In the graphical version of Linux, there are more stages involved in encrypting a file.<\/u><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>To begin, navigate to your home directory in the File Manager.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click New Folder when you right-click a blank space (a folder and a directory are the same things).<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Click Create and give the folder the name test3.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Archive Manager will then be launched after you select Activities > Search and input archive manager.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Move the fresh test3 folder into the Archive Manager window by dragging it there.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The system will prompt you with a creation of an archive question. To create an archive, click.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The filename in the Create Archive dialogue box must be test3. Click the drop-down to the right and choose the.zip format.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select Other options by clicking there. After entering a password for your archive, click Save.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shut off, Archive Manager. A test3.zip file ought to now be visible in the home directory.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Select Rename from the context menu by selecting the test3.zip file, and then start the filename with a period.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now that you know How to Show Hidden Files in Linux? you can use Linux to expose and conceal hidden files. In the event that you have to locate configuration files, these commands can be extremely helpful.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Data from web browsers, some program caches, and logs can all be found in hidden files.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the Most Powerful and Reliable Hosting Services and Resources, Visit our Website, <a href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/\"><strong>ARZ Host<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Latest Posts:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__list wp-block-latest-posts\"><li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/how-to-fix-403-forbidden-error-wordpress\/\">How To Fix 403 Forbidden Error WordPress<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/how-to-get-the-most-out-of-claude-ai\/\">How To Get The Most Out Of Claude Ai<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/bad-gateway-error-502-the-ultimate-guide-to-quick-fixes\/\">Bad Gateway Error (502): The Ultimate Guide to Quick Fixes<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/a-deep-dive-into-todays-best-linux-distros\/\">A Deep Dive Into Today\u2019s Best Linux Distros<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a class=\"wp-block-latest-posts__post-title\" href=\"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/domain-investor-terms-powerful-strategy\/\">Domain Investor Terms: Expert Insight on Powerful Strategy<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction to Linux and Hidden Files Many of the delicate system files in Linux are hidden by default. System or application files are typically hidden to prevent unintentional changes. You will learn How to Show Hidden Files in Linux? in this Article from our blog to view and interact with hidden files in Linux by [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6184,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"table_tags":[],"class_list":["post-4522","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-linux"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4522","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4522"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4522\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6185,"href":"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4522\/revisions\/6185"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6184"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4522"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4522"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4522"},{"taxonomy":"table_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/arzhost.com\/blogs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/table_tags?post=4522"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}