How to List Files and Directories in Bash to Navigate the AI-For-Beginners Repository

Use the ls command with options like -l, -a, and -R to explore the microsoft/AI-For-Beginners repository structure and locate curriculum files, examples, and configuration files from the command line.

When working with the microsoft/AI-For-Beginners repository locally, you must know how to list files and directories in bash to navigate its multi-layered curriculum structure. This guide covers the essential ls commands and flags that reveal lesson directories, example scripts, and configuration files directly from the terminal.

Essential Bash Commands for Listing Files

The ls utility provides multiple options for viewing file contents and metadata. Below are the specific flags used to examine the AI-For-Beginners repository structure.

Basic Directory Listing with ls

Running ls without arguments displays names of files and directories in the current folder, sorted alphabetically. When executed from the repository root, this reveals the top-level structure including lessons/, examples/, binder/, translations/, and key files like README.md and environment.yml.

Viewing Detailed File Metadata

Add the -l flag to display permissions, owners, sizes, and timestamps in long format. Combine with -h to produce human-readable sizes (e.g., 1K, 2M instead of bytes).

ls -lh

Sample output from the repository root:

drwxr-xr-x  5 user  staff   160 Sep  3 12:00 etc
drwxr-xr-x 12 user  staff   384 Sep  3 12:00 lessons
-rw-r--r--  1 user  staff   823 Sep  3 12:00 README.md
-rw-r--r--  1 user  staff  1234 Sep  3 12:00 environment.yml

Recursive and Hidden File Discovery

Use -R to recursively list sub-directories, essential for exploring nested structures like etc/quiz-app/ and lessons/. Use -a to include hidden entries such as .gitignore and the .devcontainer/ directory.

ls -R etc/quiz-app/
ls -a

Navigating the AI-For-Beginners Repository Structure

These specific workflows target the repository's organization, helping you locate curriculum content and resources.

Listing Curriculum Directories

To inspect only the lesson folders without individual files, use the directory filter:

ls -d lessons/*/

This reveals folders such as lessons/0-course-setup/, lessons/1-Intro/, and lessons/4-ComputerVision/. Each directory contains a README.md outlining lesson objectives, such as the Computer Vision overview located at lessons/4-ComputerVision/README.md.

Locating Python Example Scripts

The examples/ directory contains runnable demonstrations. Filter for Python files specifically:

ls examples/*.py

Output includes 01-hello-ai-world.py, 02-simple-neural-network.py, and 03-image-classifier.ipynb. Documentation for these scripts resides in examples/README.md.

Exploring the Quiz Application

The Vue.js-based quiz application lives in etc/quiz-app/. View its complete structure recursively:

ls -R etc/quiz-app/

This displays package.json, source code under src/, and build scripts. The entry point is documented in etc/quiz-app/README.md.

Advanced File Filtering Techniques

Combine ls with other utilities to pinpoint specific resources within the repository.

Searching for Jupyter Notebooks

When searching for notebook files across the entire curriculum, pipe recursive output to grep:

ls -R | grep -i '\.ipynb$'

This surfaces files like lessons/3-NeuralNetworks/03-Perceptron/Perceptron.ipynb without manually browsing each folder.

Sorting by Size and Modification Time

Use ls -lS to sort by file size (largest first) or ls -lt to sort by modification time (newest first). These flags help identify recently updated lessons or large dataset files within the curriculum.

ls -lS lessons/4-ComputerVision/
ls -lt

Summary

• Execute ls -lh to view human-readable file sizes and permissions for environment.yml and README.md
• Run ls -d lessons/*/ to list only curriculum directories without files
• Use ls -R etc/quiz-app/ to explore the nested quiz application structure
• Combine ls -R | grep -i '\.ipynb$' to locate Jupyter notebooks across the repository
• Apply ls -a to reveal hidden configuration files like .gitignore and .devcontainer/

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I list only directories in the AI-For-Beginners repository?

Use the command ls -d */ to display only directories, or ls -d lessons/*/ to specifically target the lesson folders. This filters out files and shows you the curriculum structure at a glance, revealing paths like lessons/0-course-setup/ and lessons/4-ComputerVision/.

How can I find all Jupyter notebooks in the repository using bash?

Run ls -R | grep -i '\.ipynb$' to recursively list all files and filter for notebook extensions. This reveals learning materials like lessons/3-NeuralNetworks/03-Perceptron/Perceptron.ipynb without manually browsing each folder.

What command shows hidden files like .gitignore in the repository?

Execute ls -a to include hidden entries starting with a dot. This reveals configuration files such as .gitignore and the .devcontainer/ directory that are necessary for setting up the development environment.

How do I check file sizes before cloning or downloading the repository?

Use ls -lh to display human-readable file sizes (e.g., 1K, 2M) alongside permissions. This helps you verify that files like environment.yml and dataset files in lessons/ are present and assess their storage requirements.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}