Hidden files in Linux: the leading dot

A hidden file in Linux is a file whose name starts with a dot.

Common cases

ls               # hidden files are not shown
ls -a            # show everything, including dotfiles
ls -A            # everything except . and ..
cat ~/.bashrc    # a typical hidden config file

How it works: there is no 'hidden' attribute

Linux has no separate 'hidden' flag like some other systems. A file is hidden purely by convention: its name starts with a dot, and a plain ls does not print those. This is how config files (.bashrc, .ssh) stay out of the way in your home directory. ls -a shows everything, including the . (the directory itself) and .. (the parent) entries; ls -A shows the dotfiles but hides those two housekeeping entries.

Used in

You need this in the lesson The filesystem and navigation. The theory is the chapter The filesystem and moving around.

See also

Absolute and relative paths, The ls command, The ~/.bashrc file.

Try it

Open the sandbox: a real throwaway Linux terminal in your browser. Run the commands above by hand - the container is deleted when you leave.