ls -a

Show hidden files (dotfiles) alongside normal files

ls -a reveals files and directories starting with a dot; these are hidden by default. Config files like .bashrc, .ssh/, and .env live here. Always check ls -a when debugging why a config change has no effect.

Example

$ ls -a
.  ..  .bashrc  .ssh  app.log  config

Tip: Type it yourself in the terminal below - reading is not the same as doing.