Apache Hadoop hadoop fs or hdfs dfs are file system commands to interact with HDFS, these commands are very similar to Unix Commands. Note that some Syntax and output formats may differ between Unix and HDFS Commands.
Hadoop is a open-source distributed framework that is used to store and process a large set of datasets. To store data, Hadoop uses HDFS, and to process data, it uses MapReduce & Yarn. In this article, I will mainly focus on Hadoop HDFS commands to interact with the files.
Hadoop provides two types of commands to interact with File System; hadoop fs or hdfs dfs. Major difference being hadoop commands are supported with multiple file systems like S3, Azure and many more.
What is HDFS?
HDFS is a distributed file system that stores data on commodity machines and provides very high aggregate bandwidth across the cluster.
Once written you cannot change the contents of the files on HDFS. It’s a write once read many numbers of times.
Start Hadoop Services
In order to run hdfs dfs or hadoop fs commands, first, you need to start the Hadoop services by running the start-dfs.sh script from the Hadoop installation. If you don’t have a Hadoop setup, follow Apache Hadoop Installation on Linux guide.
ubuntu@namenode:~$ start-dfs.sh
Starting namenodes on [namenode.socal.rr.com]
Starting datanodes
Starting secondary namenodes [namenode]
ubuntu@namenode:~$
Note that start-dfs.sh commands starts, name node, secondary name node, and data nodes.
Basic HDFS DFS Commands
Below are basic hdfs dfs or hadoop fs Commands.
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
-ls | List files with permissions and other details |
-mkdir | Creates a directory named path in HDFS |
-rm | To Remove File or a Directory |
-rmr | Removes the file that identified by path / Folder and subfolders |
-rmdir | Delete a directory |
-put | Upload a file / Folder from the local disk to HDFS |
-cat | Display the contents for a file |
-du | Shows the size of the file on hdfs. |
-dus | Directory/file of total size |
-get | Store file / Folder from HDFS to local file |
-getmerge | Merge Multiple Files in an HDFS |
-count | Count number of directory, number of files and file size |
-setrep | Changes the replication factor of a file |
-mv | HDFS Command to move files from source to destination |
-moveFromLocal | Move file / Folder from local disk to HDFS |
-moveToLocal | Move a File to HDFS from Local |
-cp | Copy files from source to destination |
-tail | Displays last kilobyte of the file |
-touch | create, change and modify timestamps of a file |
-touchz | Create a new file on HDFS with size 0 bytes |
-appendToFile | Appends the content to the file which is present on HDF |
-copyFromLocal | Copy file from local file system |
-copyToLocal | Copy files from HDFS to local file system |
-usage | Return the Help for Individual Command |
-checksum | Returns the checksum information of a file |
-chgrp | Change group association of files/change the group of a file or a path |
-chmod | Change the permissions of a file |
-chown | change the owner and group of a file |
-df | Displays free space |
-head | Displays first kilobyte of the file |
-Create Snapshots | Create a snapshot of a snapshottable directory |
-Delete Snapshots | Delete a snapshot of from a snapshottable directory |
-Rename Snapshots | Rename a snapshot |
-expunge | create new checkpoint |
-Stat | Print statistics about the file/directory |
-truncate | Truncate all files that match the specified file pattern to the specified length |
-find | Find File Size in HDFS |
ls – List Files and Folder
HDFS ls command is used to display the list of Files and Directories in HDFS, This ls command shows the files with permissions, user, group, and other details. For more information follow ls- List Files and Folder
$hadoop fs -ls
or
$hdfs dfs -ls
mkdir – Make Directory
HDFS mkdir command is used to create a directory in HDFS. By default, this directory would be owned by the user who is creating it. By specifying “/” at the beginning it creates a folder at root directory.
$hadoop fs -mkdir /directory-name
or
$hdfs dfs -mkdir /directory-name
rm – Remove File or Directory
HDFS rm command deletes a file and a directory from HDFS recursively.
$hadoop fs -rm /file-name
or
$hdfs dfs -rm /file-name
rmr – Remove Directory Recursively
Rmr command is used to deletes a file from Directory recursively, it is a very useful command when you want to delete a non-empty directory.
$hadoop fs -rmr /directory-name
or
$hdfs dfs -rmr /directory-name
rmdir – Delete a Directory
Rmdir command is used to removing directories only if they are empty.
$hadoop fs -rmdir /directory-name
or
$hdfs dfs -rmdir /directory-name
put – Upload a File to HDFS from Local
Copy file/folder from local disk to HDFS. On put command specifies the local-file-path where you wanted to copy from and then hdfs-file-path where you wanted to copy to on hdfs.
$ hadoop fs -put /local-file-path /hdfs-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -put /local-file-path /hdfs-file-path
cat – Displays the Content of the File
The cat command reads the specified file from HDFS and displays the content of the file on console or stdout.
$ hadoop fs -cat /hdfs-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -cat /hdfs-file-path
du – File Occupied in Disk
Du command is used to How much file Occupied in the disk. The field is the base size of the file or directory before replication.
$ hadoop fs -du /hdfs-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -du /hdfs-file-path
dus – Directory/file of the total size
Dus command is used to will give the total size of directory/file.
$ hadoop fs -dus /hdfs-directory
or
$ hdfs dfs -dus /hdfs-directory
get – Copy the File from HDFS to Local
Get command is used to store filess from HDFS to the local file. HDFS file gets the local machine.
$ hadoop fs -get /local-file-path /hdfs-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -get /local-file-path /hdfs-file-path
getmerge – Merge Multiple Files in an HDFS
If you have multiple files in an HDFS, use -getmerge option command. All these multiple files merged into one single file and downloads to local file system.
$ hadoop fs -getmerge [-nl] /source /local-destination
or
$ hdfs dfs -getmerge [-nl] /source /local-destination
count – Number of Directory
The count command is used to count a number of directories, a number of files, and file size on HDFS.
$ hadoop fs -count /hdfs-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -count /hdfs-file-path
mv – Moves Files from Source to Destination
MV (move) command is used to move files from one location to another location in HDFS. Move command allows multiple sources as well in which case the destination needs to be a director.
$ hadoop fs -mv /local-file-path /hdfs-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -mv /local-file-path /hdfs-file-path
moveFromLocal – Move file / Folder from Local disk to HDFS
Similar to the put command, moveFromLocal moves the file or source from the local file path to the destination in the HDFS file path. After this command, you will not find the file on the local file system.
$ hadoop fs -moveFromLocal /local-file-path /hdfs-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -moveFromLocal /local-file-path /hdfs-file-path
moveToLocal – Move a File to HDFS from Local
Similar to the get command, moveToLocal moves the file or source from the HDFS file path to the destination in the local file path.
$ hadoop fs -moveToLocal /hdfs-file-path /local-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -moveToLocal /hdfs-file-path /local-file-path
Cp – Copy Files from Source to Destination
Copy File-one location to another location in HDFS. Copy files from source to destination, Copy command allows multiple sources as well in which case the destination must be a directory.
$ hadoop fs -cp /local-file-path /hdfs-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -cp /local-file-path /hdfs-file-path
setrep – Changes the Replication Factor of a File
This HDFS command is used to change the replication factor of a file. If the path is a directory then the command recursively changes the replication factor of all files under the directory tree rooted at the path.
$ hadoop fs -setrep /number /file-name
or
$ hdfs dfs -setrep /number /file-name
tail – Displays Last Kilobyte of the File
Tail command is used to Display last kilobyte of the file to stdout.
$ hadoop fs -tail /hdfs-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -tail /hdfs-file-path
touch – Create and Modify Timestamps of a File
It is used to create a file without any content. The file created using the touch command is empty. updates the access and modification times of the file specified by the URI to the current time, the file does not exist then a zero-length file is created at URI with the current time as the timestamp of that URI.
$ hadoop fs -touch /hdfs-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -touch /hdfs-file-path
touchz – Create a File of zero Length
Create a new file on HDFS with size 0 bytes. create a file of zero length, an error is returned if the file exists with non-zero length.
$ hadoop fs -touchz /hdfs-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -touchz /hdfs-file-path
appendToFile – Appends the Content to the File
Appends the content to the file which is present on HDFS. Append single source. or multiple sources from the local file system to the destination file system. this command appends the contents of all the given local files to the provided destination file on the HDFS filesystem.
$ hadoop fs -appendToFile /hdfs-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -appendToFile /hdfs-file-path
copyFromLocal – Copy File from Local file System
Copying file from a local file to HDFS file system. Similar to the fs -put command and copyFromLocal command both are Store files from local disk to HDFS. Except that the source is restricted to a local file reference.
$ hadoop fs -copyToLocal /hdfs-file-path /local-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -copyToLocal /hdfs-file-path /local-file-path
copyToLocal – Copy Files from HDFS to Local file System
Copying files from HDFS file to local file system. Similar to the fs -get command and copyToLocal command both are Store files from hdfs to local files. Except that the destination is restricted to a local file reference.
$ hadoop fs -copyToLocal /hdfs-file-path /local-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -copyToLocal /hdfs-file-path /local-file-path
usage – Return the Help for Individual Command
Usage command is used to Provide you help for indidual commands.
$ hadoop fs -usage mkdir
or
$ hdfs dfs -usage mkdir
checksum -Returns the Checksum Information of a File
The checksum command is used to Returns the Checksum Information of a File. Returns the checksum information of a file.
$ hadoop fs -checksum [-v] URI
or
$ hdfs dfs -checksum [-v] URI
chgrp – Change Group Association of Files
chgrg command is used to change the group of a file or a path. The user must be the owner of files, or else a super-user.
$ hadoop fs -chgrp [-R] groupname
or
$ hdfs dfs -chgrp [-R] groupname
chmod – Change the Permissions of a File
This command is used to change the permissions of a file. With -R Used to modify the files recursively and it is the only option that is being supported currently.
$ hadoop fs -chmod [-R] hdfs-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -chmod [-R] hdfs-file-path
chown – Change the Owner and Group of a File
Chown command is used to change the owner and group of a file. This command is similar to the shell’s chown command with a few exceptions.
$ hadoop fs -chown [-R] [owner][:[group]] hdfs-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -chown [-R] [owner][:[group]] hdfs-file-path
df – Displays free Space
Df is the Displays free space. This command is used to show the capacity, free and used space available on the HDFS filesystem. Used to format the sizes of the files in a human-readable manner rather than the number of bytes.
$ hadoop fs -df /user/hadoop/dir1
or
$ hdfs dfs -df /user/hadoop/dir1
head – Displays first Kilobyte of the File
Head command is use to Displays first kilobyte of the file to stdout.
$ hadoop fs -head /hdfs-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -head /hdfs-file-path
createSnapshots – Create Snapshottable Directory
This operation requires owner privilege of the snapshot table directory. The path of the snapshot table directory, snapshot name is The snapshot name a default name is generated using a timestamp.
$ hadoop fs -createSnapshot /path /snapshotName
or
$ hdfs dfs -createSnapshot /path /snapshotName
deleteSnapshots – Delect Snapshottable Directory
This operation requires owner privilege of the snapshot table directory. The path of the snapshot table directory, snapshot name is The snapshot name.
$ hadoop fs -deleteSnapshot /path /snapshotName
or
$ hdfs dfs -deleteSnapshot /path /snapshotName
renameSnapshots – Rename a Snapshot
This operation requires owner privilege of the snapshottable directory.
$ hadoop fs -renameSnapshot /path /oldName /newName
or
$ hdfs dfs -renameSnapshot /path /oldName /newName
expunge – Create New Checkpoint
This command is used to empty the trash available in an HDFS system. Permanently delete files in checkpoints older than the retention threshold from the trash directory.
$ hadoop fs –expunge -immediate -fs /hdfs-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs –expunge -immediate -fs /hdfs-file-path
Stat – File/Directory Print Statistics
This command is used to print the statistics about the file/directory in the specified format. Print statistics about the file/directory at in the specified format.
$ hadoop fs -stat /format
or
$ hdfs dfs -stat /format
Truncate – Specified File Pattern and Length
Truncate all files that match the specified file pattern to the specified length.
$ hadoop fs -truncate [-w] /length /hdfs-file-path
or
$ hdfs dfs -truncate [-w] /length /hdfs-file-path
Find – Find File Size in HDFS
In Hadoop, hdfs dfs -find or hadoop fs -find commands are used to get the size of a single file or size for all files specified in an expression or in a directory. By default, it points to the current directory when the path is not specified.
$hadoop fs -find / -name test -print
or
$hdfs dfs -find / -name test -print
