Unix Commands: A Quick Guide -v 1.4

This is a quick guide of UNIX commands available on most UNIX systems. Depending on the configuration, some of the commands may be unavailable on your system. All commands work on Sun Solaris operating system version 2.5.1 (also known as SunOS 5.5.1) available on the the Sun workstations in the EECS Department's Instructional Computing Laboratory (ICL).

Directory and File Commands

Print Commands

Process Control

Floppy Drive Commands

Miscellaneous Commands

Directory and File Commands

Command                     Description

cd d                         Change to directory called "d"

mkdir d                      Create new directory called "d"

mv f1 [f2...] d              Move file "f" to directory called "d"

mv d1 d2                     Rename directory d1 as d2

ls                           List files in directory

ls -1  filename              List files in detail
   -a  filename              Display of hidden files
   
cat  filename                List contents of file

more  filename               List file contents by screen

chmod mode filename          Change permission(r/w/x) of file

cp f1 f2                     Copy file f1 into f2

sort filename                Alphabetically sort file called "f"

mv f1  f2                    Rename file f1 as f2

rm f                         Delete (remove) file f
   -r filename               Delete (remove) file f recursively
      dirname                Delete (remove) directory recursively

rmdir dirname                Delete (remove) directory(if given 
                             directory is empty)

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Print Commands

Command                     Description

lpr -P printername f         Output file to line printer
For ICL:
lpr -Picl2 filename

lpq -P printername           display the queue of printer jobs
For ICL:
lpq -Picl2

lprm -P printername #job     Removes the job from the printer queue
For ICL:
lprm -Picl2 -

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Process Control

Command                     Description

CTRL/c *                     Interrupt processes

sleep n                      Sleep for n seconds

ps                           Print process status stats
        
kill  -9 n                   Remove process n

CTRL/z *                     Suspend current process

exit                         Exit from shell

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Mail Programs

    Command Description pine Mail reader and composer elm Read and/or 
    compose e-mail from list the senders of mails newmail notify new mail has 
    arrived (part of elm package) frm List the senders of mails with subject mail 
    username@host Send mail to user For EECS: mail userid@eecs.uic.edu biff [y/n] 
    Instant notification of mail

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Text Editors

    Command Description pico filename A simple text editor vi filename 
    Vi editor emacs filename Emacs editor xemacs filename X window Emacs editor 
    nedit filename Nedit editor xedit filename A simple X window text editor

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File Transfer

    Command Description ftp hostname using ftp program to perform 
    FTP to/from hostname ncftp hostname A user-friendly FTP program (for a tutorial, 
    click here) xftp 
    X-window interface to FTP

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Compilers

Command                     Description

cc  filename                 C compiler

CC  Filename                 Sun's C++ Compiler

gcc Filename                 GNU C Compiler

g++ Filename                 GNU C++ Compiler

f77 Filename                 Fortran77 Compiler

f90 Filename                 Fortran90 Compiler

pc  Filename                 Pascal Compiler

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Window Manager

Command                     Description

fvwm                        feeble window manager

mwm                         Motif window manager

olvwm                       OpenLook virtual window manager

olwm                        OpenLook window manager
 
twm                         Tom's window manager 
                            (Credits: John Yancey(jyancey@acm.org)

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X window programs

Command                     Description

filemgr                      OpenWindows file manager

xclock                       display clock

oclock                       display oclock

xcalc                        calculator

xlock                        lock your screen

xterm                        a terminal or shell session

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File Compression

Command                     Description

compress filename            Compressed filename
                             (filename will be replaced
                              by filename.Z(it will add .Z extension)
                              
uncompress filename          Expand filename.Z into its original
                             size and remove .Z extension
                             (Reverse of compress command)
                             
gunzip filename.gz           Expand filename.gz into its original size
                             and remove .gz extension
                             
gzip filename                Compress filename with GNU zip(gzip) and
                             add .gz extension
                             
zip zipname files            Create an archive compressed file called 
                             which contains all files                   


unzip filename.zip           Extract files from filename.zip.
                             (Reverse of zip command)
                             
unarj filename.arj           Extract files from filename.arj

tar                          Create tape archives and add or extract files
                             (use man tar for more information)

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Floppy Drive Commands

Command                     Description

mdir                          List the contents of the floppy disk
                 
mcopy file.unix a:file.floppy copies file from current directory to floopy

mcopy a:file.floppy file.unix copies file from floppy to current directory

mformat                       Formats the floppy disk into a MS-DOS like
                              disk

mdel a:filname                Deletes a file called filename from the
                              floppy 

eject                         Ejects the floppy from the drive

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Miscellaneous Commands

Command                     Description

telnet hostname              Connect to hostname using telnet program

who                          List logged in users

whoami                       Display current user

finger  [username]           Output user information

talk userid@hostname         talk to userid at given hostname

write userid                 write to userid screen/session

ping hostname                check if hostname is alive

man name                     Unix manual entry for name

pwd                          Print working directory

gs filename                  A postscript previewer

xv filename                  Image previewer  

date                         Print date & time

history                      Display recent commands

alias  [name]                Display command aliases

quota -v                     Display disk quota for User

head f                       Output beginning of file f

tail f                       Output end of file f

passwd/yppasswd              Change password

alias name1 name2            Create command alias

unalias name1[na2...]        Remove command alias na

script filename              Save terminal session to given filename
                             (Useful to store a.out)
                             
logout/exit/quit/bye         End terminal session

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Disclaimer:
This reference guide is provided to get quick help on UNIX commands. This reference guide does not describe all UNIX commands in details, but describes commands that are useful from a user's point of view. All the commands described here can be found in more explained details in the UNIX books & on the Internet. The author is not liable for damage in connection with, or arising out of the furnishing, performance, or the use of these commands or the associated descriptions.

ECE Computer Support

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

University of Illinois at Chicago