Quick Unix Tutorial

Examples of Basic Commands

Action	Command	Examples
appent to file	cat >>	cat >> file1
combine 2 files	cat	cat file1 file2 > file3
copy files	cp	cp myfile copymyfile
create a file	cat	cat > newfile
edit files	vi	vi file
list files	ls	ls bin/
move a file	mv	mv file1 doc/chapter1
remove a file	rm	rm unwantedfile
rename a file	mv	mv oldfilename newfilename
view files	cat pg more less view	cat file pg file2 file3 view file6 file7

Directories	Command	Examples
change to another directory	cd	cd example/first/
create a directory	mkdir	mkdir example1
find out where you are	pwd	pwd
go to your home directory	cd	cd
remove an emplty eirectory	rmdir	rmdir junk

Redirection of Output or Input
> redirects the output of a command to a file
>> redircts the output of a command to the end of an existing file
< takes the input of a command form a file, not the terminal

Summary of Basic Commands

apropos apropos(1) locate commands by keyword lookup
arch arch(1B) display the architecture of the current host
cal cal(1) display a calendar
cal [month] year
- month number between 1 and 12
- year number between 1 and 9999
Examples:
cal 1996 print calendar for year 1996
cal 1 1997 print calendar for January 1997
cancel lp(1) send/cancel requests to an LP print service
cat cat(1) concatenate and display files (To view files, create files, append to files and combine files)
cat [options] [files]
Examples:
cat files read file(s)
cat > file create file (reads form terminal; terminate input with ^D)
cat >> file append to file (reads form terminal; terminate input with ^D)
cat file2 >> file1 appends contents of file2 to file1
cd cd(1) shell built-in functions to change the current working directory
chdir cd(1) shell built-in functions to change the current working directory
chgrp chgrp(1) change the group ownership of a file
chmod chmod(1) change the permissions mode of a file
chown chown(1) change owner of file
clear clear(1) clear the terminal screen
cp cp(1) copy files
date date(1) print and set the date
dc dc(1) arbitrary precision desktop calculator
dos2unix dos2unix(1) convert text file from DOS format to ISO format
eject eject(1) eject media such as CD-ROM and floppy from drive
exit exit(1) shell built-in functions to enable the execution of the shell to advance beyond its sequence of steps
file file(1) file(1B) determine the type of a file by examining its contents
head head(1) display first few lines of files
lp lp(1) send/cancel requests to an LP print service
lpstat lpstat(1) print information about the status of the LP print service
ls ls(1) ls(1B) list the contents of a directory
ls [options] [directories]
the current working directory used if no directories specified
A few options:
- -a list all entries includeing hidden files (starting with .)
- -i print inode numbers
- -l long list (mode, links, owner, group, size, timeof last modification, and name
- -t sort by modification time
- -x multi-column list, sorted across each row
Mail, mailx mailx(1), mail mail(1) rmail interactive message processing system to read mail or send mail to users
mail [options] users
Examples:
mail with no options, to read your mail
mail user to send mail to user
mail user < filename mail a file to another user
mkdir mkdir(1) make directories
more more(1) browse or page through a text file
mv mv(1) move files
nispasswd nispasswd(1) change NIS+ password information
page more(1) browse or page through a text file
pg pg(1) files perusal filter for CRTs
pr pr(1) print files
ps ps(1) ps(1B) display the status of current processes
pwd pwd(1) working directory name
rm rm(1) remove files or directories
rmdir rm(1) remove files or directories
spell spell(1) find spelling errors
tail tail(1) deliver the last part of a file
umask umask(1) shell built-in function to restrict read/write/execute permissions
unix2dos unix2dos(1) convert text file from ISO format to DOS format
vi vi(1) screen-oriented (visual) display editor based on ex
view vi(1) screen-oriented (visual) display editor based on ex
w w(1) who is logged in, and what are they doing
wc wc(1) display a count of lines, words and characters in a file
which which(1) locate a command; display its pathname or alias
who who(1) who is on the system
whoami whoami(1B) display the effective current username
whois whois(1) Internet user name directory service
write write(1) write to another user

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