Table 3:
Summary of Common Unix Commands
| Command |
Basic syntax/Example |
More info... |
| cd |
cd directory |
'cd' changes your current directory. You can specify the directory to change to in two ways -- using relative or absolute paths. Relative paths use two special directories -- '..' refers to the directory above the current one and '.' refers to the current directory. Absolute paths have a leading reference to the root directory -- '/'. cd with no parameters returns you to your home directory. |
| pwd |
pwd |
'pwd' prints the current (''working'') directory. |
| mkdir |
mkdir directory |
'mkdir' creates a new directory with the nominated name (provided an existing file or directory with the same name does not already exist). |
| cp |
cp source destination |
'cp' is used to duplicate a file. If you want to copy every file in a directory and its sub-directories then use 'cp -r directory new-directory' |
| exit |
exit |
'exit' exits the shell you are currently running. |
| logout |
logout |
'logout' logs you out of the login shell you are currently using. |
| man |
man name |
man is used to get help on a command or topic. Type 'man man' for more information on man :-) |
| info |
info name |
info is used to get help on a command or topic using a hierarchical viewer. Type 'info info' for more information on info. |
| ls |
ls |
'ls' displays a listing of the current directory. By default files beginning with the '.' character are hidden. To have these files included in the listing use the '-a' option. The '-l' option displays more information on each file. An extremely common use of the command is therefore 'ls -alF'. |
| mv |
mv source destination |
'mv' is used to move a file. The mv command is used with exactly the same syntax to move a directory as to move a file. |
| rm |
rm filename |
'rm' is used to remove a file. If you want to remove every file in a directory and all directories within it then use 'rm -r directory-name' |
| more |
more filename |
'more' is used to view a long document one screenful at a time. (Press spacebar to scroll down and 'q' to quit.) |
| less |
less filename |
'less' is used to view a long document one screenful at a time. It has many more features than the 'more' command. You can
set 'less' to be your default pager for 'man' pages by exporting the variable $PAGER equal to less from your shell. |
| chmod |
chmod flags filename |
'chmod' is used to record in a UNIX filesystem what types of users can access your
files and in what way. Read the 'chmod' man or info pages to gain an
understanding of file permissions. |
