How to Output Only the Directory Listing in Linux Using ls Command

Learn how to use the `ls` command in Linux to display only the directory itself without its contents.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/69722078/ asked by the user 'Robert Wichtendahl' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/13194736/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/69722109/ provided by the user 'alagner' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/4885321/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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How to Output Only the Directory Listing in Linux Using ls Command

When working in a Linux environment, you often need to navigate through directories and view their contents. However, there are situations when you might only want to list a directory itself, without seeing any of its contents. This is a common question for those who work with the command line in Linux: Is there a way to only output the long list of a directory itself, not its contents?

In this guide, we'll resolve this query and guide you through the process of listing the directory alone. Let’s dive into the solution!

Understanding the ls Command

The ls command is a standard command used in Unix and Unix-like operating systems, including Linux. It allows users to view the contents of directories and files. Here are a couple of basic usages of the ls command:

ls -l directory: This command lists the contents of the directory in a long format, displaying detailed information about each file and subdirectory.

ls -l filename: This command shows detailed information for a specific file.

While these usages are useful, sometimes we just want a simple list of the directory itself.

The Solution: Use -d Option

To accomplish the task of showing only the directory itself without listing its contents, you can use the -d flag with the ls command. The correct command format is:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Explanation of the Command

ls: This is the basic command to list directory contents.

-d: This option tells ls to treat the argument as a directory and to display only its information, not the contents within it.

directory_name: Replace this with the actual name of the directory you want to list.

Example Usage

Suppose you have a directory named Projects. To display only the directory itself, you would run:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

If you would like to combine it with the -l option for a detailed long listing, you can run:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

This command provides more information, such as permissions, number of links, owner, group, size, and the directory name itself.

Additional Options

The ls command has numerous other options you can experiment with, each allowing for further customization of the output. A few useful ones include:

-a: To include hidden files (those starting with a dot).

-h: To make file sizes human-readable (e.g., displaying "K" for kilobytes).

-t: To sort files by modification time.

Conclusion

With the -d option of the ls command, you can efficiently list only the directory without cluttering your terminal with its contents. This technique is straightforward and can be extremely useful in managing files and directories within the Linux command line.

Now, the next time you're working in a Linux environment and need to display just the directory, remember to use ls -d directory_name. Happy navigating!

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