What does the "ls -a" option do in linux?

@buster.gaylord 

The "ls -a" command in Linux lists all files and directories including hidden files in the current directory. Hidden files in Linux are denoted by a dot (.) at the beginning of their name. The "-a" option stands for "all", and it allows you to view all files and directories, both regular and hidden, in the specified directory.

@buster.gaylord 

The ls -a command in Linux is used to list all files, including hidden files, within a directory. The -a flag stands for "all" and it displays all files, including those whose names start with a dot (.), which are hidden files in Linux.

When the ls command is used by itself, it lists all visible files and directories in the current directory. However, when you add the -a option, it also shows the hidden files and directories that start with a dot, such as configuration files.

This command can be quite useful when you need to view all files in a directory, including those that are normally hidden from the user.