Practical references for quick lookup: commands, software alternatives, and terminal basics – freely accessible for everyone switching from Windows to Linux.
# freely usable · no registration required
The most important command-line commands in direct comparison. Anyone familiar with the Windows Command Prompt will quickly find their way around the Linux terminal.
| Windows (CMD) | Linux (Bash) | Function |
|---|---|---|
dir | ls -l | List directory contents |
cd | cd | Change directory |
copy | cp | Copy file |
move | mv | Move / rename file |
del | rm | Delete file |
mkdir | mkdir | Create directory |
cls | clear | Clear screen |
type | cat | Output file contents |
ipconfig | ip a | Show network configuration |
tasklist | ps aux | Show running processes |
taskkill | kill | Terminate process |
where | which | Find program path |
findstr | grep | Search files for text |
shutdown /r | reboot | Restart computer |
For almost every Windows program there is a mature – usually free – Linux alternative. The most important ones at a glance.
| Windows Program | Linux Alternative | Category |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Office | LibreOffice | Office Suite |
| Outlook | Thunderbird | Email & Calendar |
| Adobe Photoshop | GIMP | Image Editing |
| Adobe Illustrator | Inkscape | Vector Graphics |
| Adobe Premiere | Kdenlive | Video Editing |
| Windows Media Player | VLC | Media Playback |
| Edge / Explorer | Firefox | Web Browser |
| Notepad | gedit / nano | Text Editor |
| File Explorer | Nautilus (Files) | File Manager |
| Task Manager | System Monitor / htop | Process Management |
| OneDrive | Nextcloud | Cloud Storage |
| WinRAR / 7-Zip | Archive Manager | Extract Archives |
A few commands that come up again and again in everyday Linux use – on Ubuntu and all related distributions.
The references on this page are also available bundled for printing – free and without registration.
Windows-to-Linux commands on one page, neatly formatted for hanging next to your monitor.
Download PDFAll Windows programs and their Linux alternatives as a compact comparison list.
Download PDFThe most important Bash commands for beginners, explained in plain language.
Download PDFThese resources are the companion material to the practical book "Ditch Windows, Embrace Linux" by Manfred Lorenz – a step-by-step guide to completely switching to Ubuntu 26.04 LTS.