Essential Linux SSH Commands for Developers on VPS (A Beginner-Friendly Guide)

If you’re new to managing a VPS (Virtual Private Server), SSH commands might seem intimidating at first. But don’t worry — this guide breaks them down into simple, practical instructions so you can feel confident working directly on your server.

Whether you’re a developer deploying a website or just exploring server-side development, these SSH basics will help you get comfortable fast.

What Is SSH (Secure Shell)?

SSH stands for Secure Shell, a cryptographic network protocol used to securely access and manage servers over the internet.

Think of it like opening a secure command-line window into your server. Instead of clicking through a control panel, you can directly issue instructions, automate tasks, and troubleshoot problems in real-time.

Why use SSH?

• Encrypted communication between your computer and the server
  
  
• Remote control of your server from anywhere
  
  
• Efficient task management, especially for developers and sysadmins
  
  

🚀 How to Connect to Your VPS via SSH

Before using any commands, you need to connect to your VPS.

On Windows:

1. Open PowerShell or Command Prompt
   
   

Run:

ssh username@your-server-ip

1.  Replace username and your-server-ip with your credentials.
   
   

On Mac/Linux:

1. Open the Terminal
   
   

Use the same command:

ssh username@your-server-ip

Custom Port (Optional):

If your VPS provider uses a non-standard port (for security), connect like this:

ssh -p 2222 username@your-server-ip

Pro Tip: Use SSH Keys

SSH keys let you log in without typing your password each time and are more secure. You can generate them using:

ssh-keygen

Then add the public key to your server. Most hosting providers, like CreativeON, support this method.

🗂️ Navigating the Server

cd — Change Directory

cd public_html       # Move into your website folder

cd ..                # Go up one directory

cd ~                 # Jump to your home directory

pwd — Show Current Path

pwd

# Output example: /home/yourusername/public_html

ls — List Files

ls                   # List files and folders

ls -a                # Include hidden files

ls -l                # Detailed list with permissions

📁 File and Folder Management

mkdir — Make Directory

mkdir my-project

touch — Create Empty File

touch index.html

cp — Copy Files or Folders

cp old.txt new.txt                   # Copy file

cp -R folder1 backup-folder1         # Copy directory recursively

mv — Move or Rename

mv file.txt folder/file.txt          # Move

mv oldname.txt newname.txt           # Rename

rm — Delete Files or Folders ⚠️

rm file.txt                          # Delete file

rm -r old-folder                     # Delete folder and its contents

Caution: Files deleted with rm are not recoverable.

📄 Viewing and Editing Files

cat — View File Contents

cat wp-config.php

cat file1.txt file2.txt > combined.txt

less — View Large Files Scrollably

less biglog.log

# Use space to scroll, ‘q’ to quit

nano — Edit Text Files (Beginner-Friendly)

nano index.html

vi or vim — Advanced Text Editor

vim index.html

(For advanced users only. Start with nano if you’re new.)

🔍 Searching and Finding Files

find — Locate Files

find /home -name “*.log”

find . -size +100M                   # Files over 100MB

grep — Search Inside Files

grep “DB_NAME” wp-config.php

grep -r “SearchTerm” /var/www

📦 Working With Archives & Downloads

tar — Archive and Extract

tar -cvzf backup.tar.gz public_html   # Create archive

tar -xvzf backup.tar.gz               # Extract archive

wget — Download Files

wget https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz

wget -c https://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz  # Resume download

💾 Checking Disk and System Usage

du — Disk Usage

du -sh public_html     # Folder size

du -h /home            # Summary of all folders

df — Free Space

df -h                  # Human-readable disk space report

🧠 Process Management and Scheduling

ps — Show Running Processes

ps aux

ps aux | grep apache

history — Command History

history

!25                     # Rerun command #25

history | grep rm       # Search for previous delete actions

crontab — Schedule Repeating Tasks

crontab -e             # Edit cron jobs

crontab -l             # List existing jobs

Use this for tasks like automated backups or updates.

🙋 Common FAQs