To answer this question, we need to understand the purpose of the "ls" command and compare it to the alternative options provided.
The "ls" command is used in Unix-like operating systems to list the files and directories in a directory. It provides information such as file names, permissions, sizes, and timestamps.
Let's go through each option to understand why it is correct or incorrect:
Option A) dir - This option is incorrect because "dir" is the equivalent command in Windows operating systems, not in Unix-like systems.
Option B) list - This option is incorrect because there is no "list" command in Unix-like operating systems.
Option C) echo * - This option is correct because "echo " will display the names of all the files and directories in the current directory, similar to the "ls" command. The asterisk () is a wildcard that represents all files and directories.
Option D) cat - This option is incorrect because the "cat" command is used to display the contents of a file, not to list files and directories.
The correct answer is Option C) echo *. This option is correct because it provides an alternative way to list the files and directories in the current directory, similar to the "ls" command.