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Harley Hahn
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A Personal Note
from Harley Hahn

Unix Book
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Table of Contents

List of Figures

Chapters...
   1   2   3
   4   5   6
   7   8   9
  10  11  12
  13  14  15
  16  17  18
  19  20  21
  22  23  24
  25  26

Glossary

Appendixes...
  A  B  C
  D  E  F
  G  H

Command
Summary...

• Alphabetical
• By category

Unix-Linux
Timeline

Internet
Resources

Errors and
Corrections

Endorsements


INSTRUCTOR
AND STUDENT
MATERIAL...

Home Page
& Overview

Exercises
& Answers

The Unix Model
Curriculum &
Course Outlines

PowerPoint Files
for Teachers

Appendix B...

Summary of Unix Commands by Category

This appendix summarizes the 143 Unix commands discussed in this book, organized by category. At the end of each summary, the designation [X] provides a link to the chapter in which the command is explained. The categories are:

  
Building BlocksProcesses and Job Control
Command ToolsShells
Comparing FilesSelecting Data
DirectoriesSystem Tools
Displaying DataTerminals
DocumentationText Formatting
EditingTools
FilesUsers and Userids
FilesystemsVariables
Logging In and Out 

Building Blocks

catCombine files; copy standard input to standard output [16]
teeCopy standard input to a file and to standard output [15]
xargsRun command using arguments from standard input [25]

Command Tools

aliasCreate/display aliases [13]
typeLocate a command: display its pathname or alias [8]
unaliasDelete aliases [13]
whenceLocate a command: display its pathname or alias [8]
whichLocate a command: display its pathname or alias [8]

Comparing Files

cmpCompare two files [17]
commCompare two sorted files, show differences [17]
diffCompare two files, show differences [17]
sdiffCompare two files, show differences [17]

Directories

cdChange your working directory [24]
chmodChange file permissions for files or directories [25]
dirsDisplay/clear contents of the directory stack [24]
duDisplay amount of disk storage used by files [24]
fileAnalyze type of file [24]
lsDisplay various types of information about files [24, 25]
mkdirCreate a directory [24]
mvMove or rename files or directories [24, 25]
popdChange working directory; pop name off directory stack [24]
pushdChange working directory; push name on directory stack [24]
pwdDisplay pathname of your working directory [24]
rmDelete files or directories [25]
rmdirRemove an empty directory [24]
treeDisplay a diagram of a directory tree [24]

Displaying Data

catCombine files; copy standard input to standard output [16]
echoWrite arguments to standard output [12]
headSelect lines from beginning of data [16, 21]
hexdumpDisplay binary (non-text) files [21]
lessPager: display data, one screenful at a time [21]
morePager: display data, one screenful at a time [21]
odDisplay binary (non-text) files [21]
printWrite arguments to standard output [12]
tailSelect lines from end of data [16, 21]

Documentation

aproposDisplay command names based on keyword search [9]
infoDisplay file from the Info reference system [9]
manDisplay pages from the online Unix reference manual [9]
whatisDisplay one-line summary of specified command [9]
xmanGUI-based: display pages from online reference manual [9]

Editing

sedNon-interactive text editing [19]
vivi text editor [22]
viewStart vi text editor in read-only mode [22]
vimVim text editor [22]

Files

chmodChange file permissions for files or directories [25]
cpCopy files; copy directories [25]
duDisplay amount of disk storage used by files [24]
findSearch for files in a directory tree; process results [25]
lnCreate a new link to a file [25]
locateSearch for files [25]
lsDisplay various types of information about files [24, 25]
mkfifoCreate a named pipe [23]
mvMove or rename files or directories [24, 25]
rmDelete files or directories [25]
shredDelete a file securely [25]
statDisplay information from an inode [25]
touchUpdate access/modification times of file; create file [25]
umaskSet file mode mask for file creation [25]
whenceLocate a command: display its pathname or alias [8]
whereisFind files associated with a command [25]

Filesystems

dfDisplay disk space used/available for filesystems [24]
dumpe2fsDisplay filesystem information from superblock [24]
mountMount a filesystem [23]
umountUnmount a filesystem [23]

Logging In and Out

loginTerminate a login shell and initiate a new login [4]
logoutTerminate a login shell [4]
passwdChange your login password [4]

Processes and Job Control

&Run a program in the background [26]
^ZSuspend (pause) a foreground process [26]
bgMove job to the background [26]
fgMove job to the foreground [26]
fuserIdentify processes that are using specific files [26]
jobsDisplay information about jobs [26]
killTerminate a process; send a signal to a process [26]
niceRun a program using specified scheduling priority [26]
prstatDisplay dynamic information about processes [26]
psDisplay information about processes [26]
pstreeDisplay diagram of a process tree [26]
ptreeDisplay diagram of a process tree [26]
reniceChange scheduling priority of a running program [26]
suspendSuspend (pause) a shell [26]
topDisplay data about the most CPU-intensive processes [26]

Selecting Data

cutExtract specified columns/fields of data [17]
grepSelect lines containing a specified pattern [19]
headSelect lines from beginning of data [16, 21]
lookSelect lines that begin with a specified pattern [19]
stringsSearch for character strings in binary files [19]
tailSelect lines from end of data [16, 21]

Shells

bashBash shell [11]
bindkeySet command-line editing mode [13]
chshChange your default shell [11]
cshC-Shell [11]
exitExit a shell [4]
fcDisplay/reexecute commands from the history list [13]
historyDisplay commands from the history list [13]
kshKorn shell [11]
shBourne shell [11]
tcshTcsh shell [11]
!Reexecute command from the history list [13]
!!Reexecute last command from the history list [13]
^^Substitute/reexecute last command from history list [13]

System Tools

dmesgDisplay boot messages (Linux) [6]
hostnameDisplay the name of your system [8]
initChange to another runlevel [6]
rebootReboot the computer [6]
shutdownShutdown the computer [6]
suChange to superuser or another userid [6]
sudoRun a single command as superuser [6]
unameDisplay the name of your operating system [8]
uptimeDisplay how long your system has been up [8]

Terminals

lockTemporarily lock your terminal [8]
sttySet/display operating options for your terminal [7]
ttyDisplay name of the special file for your terminal [23]

Text Formatting

colrmDelete specified columns of data [16]
expandChange tabs to spaces [18]
fmtFormat paragraphs to make them look nice [18, 22]
foldFormat long lines into shorter lines [18]
joinCombine columns of data based on common fields [19]
nlAdd line numbers to text [18]
pasteCombine columns of data [17]
prFormat text into pages or columns [18]
revReverse order of characters in each line of data [16]
sedNon-interactive text editing [19]
splitSplit a large file into smaller files [16]
tacCombine files while reversing order of lines of text [16]
trChange or delete selected characters [19]
unexpandChange spaces to tabs [18]
uniqRemove adjacent repeated lines in a text file [19]

Tools

bcArbitrary-precision, easy-to-use calculator [8]
calDisplay a calendar [8]
calendarDisplay current reminders from calendar file [8]
dateDisplay the time and date [8]
dcArbitrary-precision, stack-based calculator [8]
leaveDisplay reminder at a specified time [8]
sortSort data; check if data is sorted [19]
sleepDelay for a specified interval [26]
tsortCreate a total ordering from partial orderings [19]
wcCount lines, words and characters [18]

Users and Userids

groupsDisplay the groups to which a userid belongs [25]
idDisplay current userid and groupid [25]
lastCheck the last time userid has logged in [4]
quotaDisplay your system resource quotas [8, 24]
usersDisplay userids that are currently logged in [8]
wDisplay info about userids and active processes [8]
whoDisplay info about currently logged in userids [8]
whoamiDisplay the userid that is currently logged in [8]

Variables

echoWrite arguments to standard output [12]
envDisplay environment variables [12]
exportExport shell variables to the environment [12]
printWrite arguments to standard output [12]
printenvDisplay environment variables [12]
setSet/display shell options and shell variables [12]
setenvSet/display environment variables [12]
unsetDelete shell variables [12]
unsetenvUnset environment variables [12]

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