Linux Show Hidden Files with ls, find, and du

In Linux, a hidden file or directory is any name that starts with a dot (.). Examples include .bashrc, .ssh, .config, and .cache. Hidden files are not protected by the dot in their name; the dot only keeps them out of normal ls output.

This guide shows how to:

show hidden files with ls
list only hidden files and directories
find hidden files recursively with the find command
check hidden file and hidden folder size with du when you are checking disk space
understand why du -sh * does not include hidden files

The commands below were tested in a temporary directory:

console

$ find /tmp/show-hidden-demo -maxdepth 3 -printf '%P\n' | sort

..double_hidden
.hidden_dir
.hidden_dir/.secret.conf
.hidden_dir/cache.txt
.hidden_dir/nested
.hidden_dir/nested/blob.bin
.hidden_file
visible_dir
visible_file

Why normal ls does not show hidden files

Run ls -l and only normal entries are listed:

console

$ ls -l
total 0
drwxrwxr-x 2 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud 40 Jun  7 12:44 visible_dir
-rw-rw-r-- 1 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud  0 Jun  7 12:44 visible_file

The hidden entries exist in the same directory, but ls hides names that start with . unless you use an option such as -a or -A.

Show hidden files with ls -la

Use ls -la to show all files, including hidden files:

console

$ ls -la
total 0
drwxrwxr-x  4 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud 140 Jun  7 12:44 .
drwxrwxrwt 21 nobody       nogroup      520 Jun  7 12:44 ..
-rw-rw-r--  1 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud   0 Jun  7 12:44 ..double_hidden
drwxrwxr-x  3 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud 100 Jun  7 12:44 .hidden_dir
-rw-rw-r--  1 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud   0 Jun  7 12:44 .hidden_file
drwxrwxr-x  2 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud  40 Jun  7 12:44 visible_dir
-rw-rw-r--  1 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud   0 Jun  7 12:44 visible_file

Options used:

-l: use long listing format
-a: show all entries, including . and ..

The entries . and .. are special directory entries:

. means the current directory
.. means the parent directory

Show hidden files with ls -lA

Use ls -lA when you want hidden files but do not want to show . and ..:

console

$ ls -lA
total 0
-rw-rw-r-- 1 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud   0 Jun  7 12:44 ..double_hidden
drwxrwxr-x 3 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud 100 Jun  7 12:44 .hidden_dir
-rw-rw-r-- 1 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud   0 Jun  7 12:44 .hidden_file
drwxrwxr-x 2 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud  40 Jun  7 12:44 visible_dir
-rw-rw-r-- 1 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud   0 Jun  7 12:44 visible_file

Options used:

-A: show almost all entries, excluding . and ..

For most command-line checks, ls -lA is cleaner than ls -la.

List only hidden files and directories

If you want to list only hidden entries in the current directory, use a safe shell glob:

console

$ ls -ld .[!.]* ..?* 2>/dev/null
-rw-rw-r-- 1 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud   0 Jun  7 12:44 ..double_hidden
drwxrwxr-x 3 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud 100 Jun  7 12:44 .hidden_dir
-rw-rw-r-- 1 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud   0 Jun  7 12:44 .hidden_file

This pattern is safer than .?*:

.[!.]* matches names such as .hidden_file and .hidden_dir
..?* matches names such as ..double_hidden
2>/dev/null hides unmatched-pattern errors

Avoid using only .?* because it can match .., which is the parent directory.

If you need the command to exit cleanly in Bash when one pattern has no match, enable nullglob first:

console

$ shopt -s nullglob

Find hidden files recursively

Use find when you need to search below the current directory:

console

$ find . -type f -name '.*' -print
./..double_hidden
./.hidden_file
./.hidden_dir/.secret.conf

Options used:

-type f: match files only
-name '.*': match names that start with .
-print: print the matched path

This finds hidden files in the current directory and in hidden or normal subdirectories below it.

Find hidden directories recursively

Use -type d to find hidden directories:

console

$ find . -type d -name '.*' ! -name . ! -name .. -print
./.hidden_dir

The ! -name . ! -name .. filters exclude the current and parent directory entries.

Check size of hidden files with ls

You can combine find and ls -lh to view the apparent size of hidden files:

console

$ find . -type f -name '.*' -exec ls -lh {} +
-rw-rw-r-- 1 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud  0 Jun  7 12:44 ./..double_hidden
-rw-rw-r-- 1 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud 14 Jun  7 12:44 ./.hidden_dir/.secret.conf
-rw-rw-r-- 1 golinuxcloud golinuxcloud  0 Jun  7 12:44 ./.hidden_file

Use ls when you want file metadata such as permissions, owner, and apparent file size.

Check size of hidden files with du

Use du when you want disk usage:

console

$ find . -type f -name '.*' -exec du -h {} +
0	./..double_hidden
0	./.hidden_file
4.0K	./.hidden_dir/.secret.conf

Use du -hs with the safe hidden-file glob to summarize hidden entries in the current directory:

console

$ du -hs .[!.]* ..?* 2>/dev/null
24K	.hidden_dir
0	.hidden_file
0	..double_hidden

Options used:

-h: show human-readable sizes
-s: summarize each argument

Find largest hidden files and directories

To find the largest hidden items recursively, combine du, sort, and head:

console

$ du -ah .[!.]* ..?* 2>/dev/null | sort -hr | head
24K	.hidden_dir
16K	.hidden_dir/nested/blob.bin
16K	.hidden_dir/nested
4.0K	.hidden_dir/cache.txt
4.0K	.hidden_dir/.secret.conf
0	.hidden_file
0	..double_hidden

Options used:

du -a: include files and directories
sort -h: sort human-readable sizes correctly
sort -r: largest first
head: show the first lines only

Why du -sh * does not include hidden files

In Bash and most POSIX-style shells, * does not expand to names that start with a dot. That means this command checks only non-hidden entries in the current directory:

console

$ du -sh *
4.0K	visible_dir
0	visible_file

To include both normal and hidden entries, pass both patterns:

console

$ du -hs * .[!.]* ..?* 2>/dev/null
4.0K	visible_dir
0	visible_file
24K	.hidden_dir
0	.hidden_file
0	..double_hidden

Show hidden files in Ubuntu file manager

In Ubuntu's Files app and many Linux desktop file managers, press Ctrl+H to toggle hidden files. You can also use the file manager menu and enable the option to show hidden files.

This only changes the desktop view. It does not change file permissions or make the files visible to normal ls output in a terminal.

If you want to inspect files below many nested directories, also see the guide on how to list recursively with ls.

Create hidden files and directories

To create a hidden file, start the filename with a dot:

console

$ touch .my_hidden_file

To create a hidden directory, start the directory name with a dot:

console

$ mkdir .my_hidden_directory

To make an existing file hidden, rename it so the new name starts with a dot:

console

$ mv normal_file .normal_file

FAQ

What command shows hidden files in Linux?

Use ls -la to show hidden files with . and .., or use ls -lA to show hidden files without . and ...

How do I list only hidden files in Linux?

Use:

console

$ ls -ld .[!.]* ..?* 2>/dev/null

This lists only hidden entries in the current directory and avoids accidentally listing the parent directory.

How do I find hidden files in Linux?

Use:

console

$ find . -type f -name '.*' -print

Replace . with another path when you want to search somewhere else.

Does ls -a show hidden folders too?

Yes. ls -a shows hidden files and hidden directories because both are identified by a leading dot in the name.

What is the difference between ls -a and ls -A?

ls -a shows all entries, including . and ... ls -A shows hidden entries too, but excludes . and ...

How do I check hidden folder size in Linux?

Use du -hs:

console

$ du -hs .[!.]* ..?* 2>/dev/null

For largest hidden files and folders, use:

console

$ du -ah .[!.]* ..?* 2>/dev/null | sort -hr | head

Are hidden files secure?

No. A leading dot only hides the file from normal listings. Use Linux permissions, encryption, or access controls when you need security.

Summary

Use ls -la or ls -lA to show hidden files in Linux. Use ls -ld .[!.]* ..?* 2>/dev/null when you want only hidden entries in the current directory. Use find . -type f -name '.*' -print to find hidden files recursively. Use du -hs .[!.]* ..?* 2>/dev/null to check the disk usage of hidden files and hidden directories.