How to reverse directory listing in Linux

The ls command in Linux is the primary tool for listing directory contents. By default, it organizes files and directories in alphabetical order. In some cases, you may need to reverse this order, such as when viewing files from newest to oldest or in reverse alphabetical order.

The ls command includes built-in options to reverse the listing directly. This method is simple and efficient for most tasks, allowing you to control the output without external tools. Options like reversing based on time, size, or even just the standard alphabetical order are available.

These features are useful when managing large numbers of files or when a specific order is needed for clarity. Understanding how to reverse listings using ls helps you efficiently manage directory contents on Linux.

1. Open the terminal.
2. List the contents of a directory.

   $ ls
   Applications Documents    Dropbox      Movies       Pictures     System       tmp
   Desktop      Downloads    Library      Music        Public       Workspace

3. Pipe the output of ls to the sort command for reverse sorting.

   $ ls | sort -r
   tmp
   Workspace
   System
   Public
   Pictures
   Music
   Movies
   Library
   Dropbox
   Downloads
   Documents
   Desktop
   Applications

   The sort -r command allows you to reverse the order based on specific sorting criteria if necessary.

4. Reverse the order of the directory listing.

   $ ls -r
   tmp          System       Pictures     Movies       Dropbox      Documents    Applications
   Workspace    Public       Music        Library      Downloads    Desktop

5. Display directory contents sorted by modification time or other criterion.

   $ ls -lt
   total 0
   drwxr-xr-x  12 user  group   384 Jul 21 09:50 Workspace
   drwx------@ 19 user  group   608 Jul  4 15:18 Dropbox
   drwx------+  6 user  group   192 Jul  4 11:47 Movies
   drwx------@ 83 user  group  2656 Jun 27 14:11 Library
   drwx------+  6 user  group   192 Jun 25 16:13 Music
   lrwx------@  1 user  group    41 Jun 25 15:22 Desktop -> Library/CloudStorage/iCloud Drive/Desktop
   lrwx------@  1 user  group    43 Jun 25 15:22 Documents -> Library/CloudStorage/iCloud Drive/Documents
   drwx------+  6 user  group   192 Jun 25 15:18 Pictures
   drwxr-xr-x   3 user  group    96 Aug  4  2018 System
   lrwxr-xr-x   1 user  group    28 Jul 10  2018 Downloads -> /Volumes/SD/user/Downloads
   lrwxr-xr-x   1 user  group    22 Jul 10  2018 tmp -> /Volumes/SD/user/tmp
   drwx------@  4 user  group   128 Jun 28  2018 Applications
   drwxr-xr-x+  4 user  group   128 Jun 28  2018 Public

6. Display directory contents sorted by modification time or other criterion in reverse order.

   $ ls -lrt
   total 0
   drwxr-xr-x+  4 user  group   128 Jun 28  2018 Public
   drwx------@  4 user  group   128 Jun 28  2018 Applications
   lrwxr-xr-x   1 user  group    22 Jul 10  2018 tmp -> /Volumes/SD/user/tmp
   lrwxr-xr-x   1 user  group    28 Jul 10  2018 Downloads -> /Volumes/SD/user/Downloads
   drwxr-xr-x   3 user  group    96 Aug  4  2018 System
   drwx------+  6 user  group   192 Jun 25 15:18 Pictures
   lrwx------@  1 user  group    43 Jun 25 15:22 Documents -> Library/CloudStorage/iCloud Drive/Documents
   lrwx------@  1 user  group    41 Jun 25 15:22 Desktop -> Library/CloudStorage/iCloud Drive/Desktop
   drwx------+  6 user  group   192 Jun 25 16:13 Music
   drwx------@ 83 user  group  2656 Jun 27 14:11 Library
   drwx------+  6 user  group   192 Jul  4 11:47 Movies
   drwx------@ 19 user  group   608 Jul  4 15:18 Dropbox
   drwxr-xr-x  12 user  group   384 Jul 21 09:50 Workspace

   The -t option sorts files by modification time, and combining it with -r shows them in reverse order.