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Directory Tree View in Linux

Basic Command​

To print a tree view of directories in Linux, use the tree command:

tree

Installation​

If tree is not installed, you can install it using:

Ubuntu/Debian​

sudo apt-get install tree

CentOS/RHEL​

sudo yum install tree

Fedora​

sudo dnf install tree

Common Usage Options​

Basic Directory Tree​

tree /path/to/directory

Limit Directory Depth​

Show only 2 levels deep:

tree -L 2

Show Only Directories​

tree -d

Show Hidden Files​

tree -a

Show File Size​

tree -h

Exclude Certain Patterns​

Exclude directories or files matching a pattern:

tree --exclude '*.txt'

Output to File​

tree > tree.txt

Useful Combinations​

Common Project View​

Show directories only, up to 2 levels, with size:

tree -L 2 -d -h

Full Project Structure​

Show all files including hidden ones, with size:

tree -a -h

Tips​

  • Use tree --help to see all available options
  • Combine options as needed (e.g., tree -L 2 -d -h)
  • Large directories might take time to process
  • Consider using patterns to exclude unnecessary files/directories

Example Output​

.
├── dir1
│   ├── file1.txt
│   └── file2.txt
├── dir2
│   └── subdir1
│       └── file3.txt
└── README.md

3 directories, 4 files