Do you sometimes share your Linux desktop with family, friends, or coworkers? If so, you may want to hide some personal files and folders. The challenge is figuring out how to conceal these files on a Linux system.
In this guide, we will walk through a straightforward and effective way to hide files and directories in Linux, as well as how to view hidden items using both the terminal and GUI interfaces.
As you'll see below, hiding files and directories in Linux is quite simple.
How to Hide Files in Linux
To hide a file or directory from the command line, all you need to do is add a dot . at the beginning of its name using the mv command like this:
<code>$ ls $ mv sync.ffs_db <strong>.sync.ffs_db</strong> $ ls</code>
When using the GUI method, the same principle applies: rename the file by prefixing it with a . as shown below.
After renaming the file, it might still appear visible. Simply navigate away from the directory and re-enter it, and the file will now be hidden.
How to Hide Directories/Folders in Linux
Hiding a directory or folder follows the same process using the mv command, where you prepend a . to the directory's name (in this case, the directory is named my_imp_dir):
<code>$ mv my_imp_dir .my_imp_dir $ ls -l </code>
If you want to unhide a directory, simply remove the . from the start of the directory name using the mv command again:
<code>$ mv .my_imp_dir my_imp_dir $ ls -l </code>
How to View Hidden Files and Directories in Linux
To display hidden files, use the ls command with the -a option for a basic list of all files or -al for detailed listing information.
<code>$ ls -a OR $ ls -al</code>
Within a GUI file manager, navigate to the View menu and enable the Show Hidden Files option to reveal hidden files and directories.
How to Compress Files and Directories with Password in Linux
For additional security on your hidden files and directories, consider compressing them with a password before hiding them via the GUI file manager.
Right-click on the desired file or directory, select Compress or Create Archive from the context menu, set the compression type to zip, and click on “Other options” to access the password setting as illustrated below.
Once the password has been entered, click Create.
From now on, anyone attempting to open the compressed file will need to provide the correct password.
You can also protect files and directories with a password using the zip command directly in the terminal:
<code>$ zip -re my_imp_files.zip files1.txt files2.txt files3.txt $ zip -re my_imp_dir.zip my_imp_dir</code>
[ You might also like: Tools to Encrypt/Decrypt and Password Protect Files in Linux ]
That’s all for now! This tutorial explained how to easily hide files and directories, as well as how to show hidden items in Linux using both the terminal and GUI. Use the feedback form below to share any thoughts or questions.
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