[Chapter 1] 1.4 Beginner's Guide

1.4 Beginner's Guide

If you're just beginning to work on a UNIX system, the abundance of commands might prove daunting. To help orient you, the following tables present a small sampling of commands on various topics.

1.4.1 Communication

cu	Connect to UNIX system.
ftp	File transfer protocol.
login	Sign on to UNIX.
mailx	Read or send mail.
rlogin	Sign on to remote UNIX.
talk	Write to other terminals.
telnet	Connect to another system.
vacation	Respond to mail automatically.
write	Write to other terminals.

1.4.2 Comparisons

cmp	Compare two files.
comm	Compare items in files.
diff	Compare two files.
diff3	Compare three files.
dircmp	Compare directories.
sdiff	Compare two files, side by side.

1.4.3 File Management

cat	Join files or display them.
cd	Change directory.
chmod	Change access modes on files.
cp	Copy files.
csplit	Break files at specific locations.
file	Determine a file's type.
head	Show the first few lines of a file.
install	Set up system files.
ln	Create filename aliases.
ls	List files or directories.
mkdir	Create a directory.
more	Display files by screenful.
mv	Move or rename files or directories.
pwd	Print your working directory.
rcp	Copy files to remote system.
rm	Remove files.
rmdir	Remove directories.
split	Split files evenly.
tail	Show the last few lines of a file.
wc	Count lines, words, and characters.

1.4.4 Miscellaneous

banner	Make posters from words.
bc	Precision calculator.
cal	Display calendar.
calendar	Check for reminders.
clear	Clear the screen.
kill	Terminate a running command.
man	Get information on a command.
nice	Reduce a job's priority.
nohup	Preserve a job after logging out.
passwd	Set password.
script	Produce a transcript of your login session.
spell	Report misspelled words.
su	Become a superuser.

1.4.5 Printing

cancel	Cancel a printer request.
lp	Send to the printer.
lpstat	Get printer status.
pr	Format and paginate for printing.

1.4.6 Programming

cb	C source code "beautifier."
cc	C compiler.
cflow	C function flowchart.
ctags	C function references.
ctrace	C debugger.
cxref	C cross-references.
lint	C debugger.
ld	Link editor.
lex	Lexical analyzer.
make	Execute commands in a specified order.
od	Dump input in various formats.
sdb	Symbolic debugger.
strip	Remove data from an object file.
truss	Trace signals and system calls.
yacc	Compiler used with lex.

1.4.7 Searching

egrep	Extended version of `grep` .
fgrep	Search files for literal words.
find	Search the system for filenames.
grep	Search files for text patterns.
strings	Search binary files for text patterns.

1.4.8 Shell Programming

echo	Repeat input on the output.
expr	Perform arithmetic and comparisons.
line	Read a line of input.
sleep	Pause during processing.
test	Test a condition.

1.4.9 Storage

compress	Compress files to free up space.
cpio	Copy archives in or out.
pack	Pack files to free up space.
pcat	Display contents of packed files.
tar	Tape archiver.
uncompress	Expand compressed (`.Z` ) files.
unpack	Expand packed (`.z` ) files.
zcat	Display contents of compressed files.

1.4.10 System Status

at	Execute commands later.
chgrp	Change file group.
chown	Change file owner.
crontab	Automate commands.
date	Display or set date.
df	Show free disk space.
du	Show disk usage.
env	Show environment variables.
finger	Point out information about users.
ps	Show processes.
ruptime	Show loads on working systems.
shutdown	Revert to single-user mode.
stty	Set or display terminal settings.
who	Show who is logged on.

1.4.11 Text Processing

cut	Select columns for display.
ex	Line-editor underlying vi.
fmt	Produce roughly uniform line lengths.
fold	Produce exactly uniform line lengths.
join	Merge different columns into a database.
nawk	New version of awk (pattern-matching language for database files).
paste	Merge columns or switch order.
sed	Noninteractive text editor.
sort	Sort or merge files.
tr	Translate (redefine) characters.
uniq	Find repeated or unique lines in a file.
vi	Visual text editor.
xargs	Process many arguments in manageable portions.

1.4.12 Troff

All but deroff are in the compatibility packages.

deroff	Remove troff codes.
eqn	Preprocessor for equations.
nroff	Formatter for terminal display.
pic	Preprocessor for line graphics.
tbl	Preprocessor for tables.
troff	Formatter for typesetting.