(coreutils.info)Which files are listed

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10.1.1 Which files are listed
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These options determine which files `ls' lists information for.  By
default, `ls' lists files and the contents of any directories on the
command line, except that in directories it ignores files whose names
start with `.'.

`-a'
`--all'
     In directories, do not ignore file names that start with `.'.

`-A'
`--almost-all'
     In directories, do not ignore all file names that start with `.';
     ignore only `.' and `..'.  The `--all' (`-a') option overrides
     this option.

`-B'
`--ignore-backups'
     In directories, ignore files that end with `~'.  This option is
     equivalent to `--ignore='*~' --ignore='.*~''.

`-d'
`--directory'
     List just the names of directories, as with other types of files,
     rather than listing their contents.  Do not follow symbolic links
     listed on the command line unless the `--dereference-command-line'
     (`-H'), `--dereference' (`-L'), or
     `--dereference-command-line-symlink-to-dir' options are specified.

`-H'
`--dereference-command-line'
     If a command line argument specifies a symbolic link, show
     information for the file the link references rather than for the
     link itself.

`--dereference-command-line-symlink-to-dir'
     Do not dereference symbolic links, with one exception: if a
     command line argument specifies a symbolic link that refers to a
     directory, show information for that directory rather than for the
     link itself.  This is the default behavior when no other
     dereferencing-related option has been specified (`--classify'
     (`-F'), `--directory' (`-d'), (`-l'), `--dereference' (`-L'), or
     `--dereference-command-line' (`-H')).

`--group-directories-first'
     Group all the directories before the files and then sort the
     directories and the files separately using the selected sort key
     (see -sort option).  That is, this option specifies a primary sort
     key, and the -sort option specifies a secondary key.  However, any
     use of `--sort=none' (`-U') disables this option altogether.

`--hide=PATTERN'
     In directories, ignore files whose names match the shell pattern
     PATTERN, unless the `--all' (`-a') or `--almost-all' (`-A') is
     also given.  This option acts like `--ignore=PATTERN' except that
     it has no effect if `--all' (`-a') or `--almost-all' (`-A') is
     also given.

     This option can be useful in shell aliases.  For example, if `lx'
     is an alias for `ls --hide='*~'' and `ly' is an alias for `ls
     --ignore='*~'', then the command `lx -A' lists the file `README~'
     even though `ly -A' would not.

`-I PATTERN'
`--ignore=PATTERN'
     In directories, ignore files whose names match the shell pattern
     (not regular expression) PATTERN.  As in the shell, an initial `.'
     in a file name does not match a wildcard at the start of PATTERN.
     Sometimes it is useful to give this option several times.  For
     example,

          $ ls --ignore='.??*' --ignore='.[^.]' --ignore='#*'

     The first option ignores names of length 3 or more that start with
     `.', the second ignores all two-character names that start with `.'
     except `..', and the third ignores names that start with `#'.

`-L'
`--dereference'
     When showing file information for a symbolic link, show information
     for the file the link references rather than the link itself.
     However, even with this option, `ls' still prints the name of the
     link itself, not the name of the file that the link points to.

`-R'
`--recursive'
     List the contents of all directories recursively.