ls-r: Recursively List Directory Contents (Custom Script)

Overview

ls-r is a custom script that lists the contents of the current directory and all its subdirectories. It provides the same functionality as the 'ls -R' command, making it useful for quickly understanding complex directory structures.

Key Features

Recursive Directory Traversal: Displays contents of the current directory and all subdirectories.
Includes All Sub-items: Encompasses both files and directories.
Concise Usage: Allows for shorter typing of the 'ls -R' command.

Key Options

As ls-r is a custom script, it can generally pass through options to the 'ls' command. Here are some commonly used options with the 'ls' command.

Display/Format

Generated command:

Try combining the commands.

Description:

`ls-r` Executes the command.

Combine the above options to virtually execute commands with AI.

Usage Examples

Various examples of how to use the ls-r script.

Basic Recursive Listing

ls-r

Recursively lists the contents of the current directory and all its subdirectories.

Recursive Listing with Details

ls-r -l

Recursively lists contents with detailed information such as file permissions, owner, and size.

Recursive Listing Including Hidden Files

ls-r -a

Recursively lists all items, including hidden files and directories.

Detailed Recursive Listing with Human-Readable Sizes

ls-r -lh

Recursively lists detailed information with file sizes displayed in K, M, G units.

Recursive Listing of a Specific Directory

ls-r /var/log

Recursively lists the contents of a specified directory.

Installation

Since ls-r is not a standard command, you need to create the script yourself or set up an alias. Here's how to create a simple shell script that executes the 'ls -R' command.

1. Create Script File

Create a file named 'ls-r' using a text editor. For example, create the file in the current directory.

echo '#!/bin/bash\nls -R "$@"' > ls-r

Add the following content to the file. The first line indicates it's a shell script, and the second line passes all arguments ($@) to the 'ls -R' command.

2. Grant Execute Permissions

Grant execute permissions to the created script file.

chmod +x ls-r

3. Add to PATH (Optional)

To be able to run 'ls-r' from any directory, move the script file to a directory included in your system's PATH environment variable (e.g., /usr/local/bin).

sudo mv ls-r /usr/local/bin/

Use as an Alias (Alternative)

Instead of creating a script file, you can also use your shell's alias feature to set 'ls-r' as a shortcut for 'ls -R'. Add the following line to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc file, then restart your shell or apply with the 'source' command.

echo 'alias ls-r="ls -R"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc

Tips & Considerations

Useful tips and points to consider when using the ls-r script.

Performance Considerations

For very large or deeply nested directory structures, the 'find' command might be more efficient than 'ls -R' (and thus ls-r). 'find' offers more filtering and action options.

Example: `find . -print` (Lists all files and directories starting from the current directory)

Verify Option Passing

To ensure your script supports all options of the 'ls' command, make sure it passes all arguments using '$@' within the script. The installation example script above handles this correctly.

Alternative Commands

If you want a more visually appealing representation of directory structures, consider using the 'tree' command. 'tree' usually needs to be installed separately on most Linux distributions.

Example: `sudo apt install tree` (Debian/Ubuntu)
Example: `sudo yum install tree` (CentOS/RHEL)
Example: `tree -L 2` (Displays the directory structure in a tree format up to 2 levels deep from the current directory)