UNIX Commands Cheat Sheet

Note: Most but not all of the commands listed herein are part of UNIX, some may not be available on every UNIX system. These commands are available on rci and eden. Where the behavior is different between eden and rci it will be noted.

Command

Description

Usage

On-line Help

man

display reference manual pages

man cmd_name

Basic Options:

-k locates commands by keyword lookup
-s specifies a chapter or section to look in
-u basic usage description

man -k keyword
man -schap# cmd_name
man -u

whereis

locate the executable, source, and man page files

whereis command

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

whereis -h

Communicating With Other Users

chfn

change finger entry

chfn

finger

lists information about users

finger username

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

finger -h

from

see who your mail is from

from

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

from -h

ftp

file transfer protocol

Transfers files from one networked computer where you have an account to another where you have an account.

ftp computer.domain

mail

not supported

mail

mesg

permit or deny messages from write and talk

mesg y or mesg n

pine

mail program recommended by RUCS

pine

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

pine -h

talk

"talk" to another currently logged in user

talk username

telnet

telnet computer

list who is on the system and what they are doing

w

who

list who is on the system

who

whodo

list who is on the system and what they are doing

whodo

write

send an interactive message to another user

write username

zmail

mail program, not supported, may be removed soon

zmail

Basic Options:

-gui starts with Graphic User Interface, works only on X terminals
-h basic usage description

zmail -gui
zmail -h

zmlite

mail program, not supported, may be removed soon

zmlite

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

zmlite -h

Dealing with the File System

cat

concatenate and display arguments to standard output

cat file

change directory

Note: given a full or relative path, set the working directory as specified; without arguments set the working directory to the login directory

cd path

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

cd -h

chmod

set the protections on a file

chmod code file

In the numeric mode the three numbers represent the protections for the user, group and others. Each number is a sum of 1 (for execute access), 2 (for write/delete access) and 4 (for read access). "chmod 750 file.name" sets full access for the user, read and execute for the group and no access for others

chmod ### file

In the symbolic mode the options first indicate whose access is to be changed u (user, you), g (group), o (other), or a (all); then indicate the type of action + (add), - (delete), or = (set); and then specify the access to be set r (read), w (write/delete), or x (execute). &qiot;chmod o-rwx file.name" denies others from having any access to file.name and has no affect on user/group access

chmod ugoa+-=rwx file

Basic Option:

-R descend into subdirectories

chmod -R code file

copy files

cp fromfile tofile

Basic Option:

--help basic usage description

cp --help

diff

compares two files and reports the differences

diff file1 file2

Basic Option:

--help basic usage description

diff --help

display disk usage

NOTE: On rci 'du' and 'du -k' both yield results in 1 kilobyte blocks, while on eden 'du' yields results in ½ kilobyte blocks and 'du -k' yields results in 1 kilobyte blocks.

du

Basic Options:

-k show usage in 1 kilobyte blocks
--help basic usage description

du -k

du ---help

file

determine the type of a file

file filename

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

file -h

ftp

file transfer protocol

Transfers files from one networked computer where you have an account to another where you have an account.

ftp computer.domain

grep

search for a character string in a file

grep string file

Basic Options:

-v show lines that do not contain the string
-h basic usage description

grep -v string file

grep -h

gzip

compress a file to take up less space

gzip filename

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

gzip -h

gunzip

re-expand compressed files

gunzip filename

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

gunzip -h

head

Show the first 10 lines of a file

head filename

Basic Options:

-# show first # lines of the specified file
--help basic usage description

head -20 filename

head --help

ispell

check the spelling of the contents of a file

ispell file

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

ispell -h

less

browse or page through a text file.

Usage: press the space bar to go forward a page, type b to go back a page and type q to quit.

less file

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

less -h

lpq

check the status of a print queue

lpq

Basic Option:

-Pprinter specifies the printer to be checked

lpq -Pprinter_name

lpr

send a job to a print queue

lpr options file(s)

Basic Options:

-Pprinter specifies the printer
-Bbin specifies the bin
-Nnote print note on burster page
-m send mail upon completion

lprm

remove a print job from a print queue

lprm print_job_#

list the contents of a directory

ls options files(s)

Basic Options:

-a all files
-d list directories not their contents
-F mark directories with /, executable files with *, symbolic links with @, and sockets with =
-l long listing showing protections, number of links, owner, size, and time of last modification
-s size in kilobytes
--help basic usage description

mkdir

create a new subdirectory in the current directory

mkdir subdir

create a new subdirectory, in the indicated target directory

mkdir subdir targetdir

Basic Option:

--help basic usage description

mkdir --help

browse or page through a text file.

Usage: press the space bar to go forward a page, type b to go back a page and type q to quit.

more file

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

more -h

move or rename files

mv fromfile tofile

Basic Option:

--help basic usage description

mv --help

prepare text for printing with headers and page breaks

pr file

Basic Options:

-h "header text" set the page header
--help basic usage description

pr -h "header text" file

pr --help

lpc

Work with the available printer queues

lpc status all

pwd

display the current directory's full pathname

pwd

quota

check to see if over allowed usage, no response if not

quota

Basic Option:

-v verbose, show status even if not over quota
With this option eden will display more information than rci.

quota -v

remove (delete) files

rm file

Basic Options:

-i interactive, ask before removal
-r recursive, descend into subdirectories removing files and then containing directories.
--help basic usage description

rm -i file
rm -r directory
rm --help

Note: Once a file is deleted, you can't undelete it. Use the -i option to have UNIX ask if you are sure about removing the file.

rmdir

remove empty directories

rmdir dirname

Basic Option:

--help basic usage description

rmdir --help

sort

sort input

sort filename

Basic Option:

-n sort numerically.

sort -n filename

tail

show last 10 lines of a file

tail filename

Basic Options:

-# show last # lines of the specified file
--help basic usage description

tail -20 filename

tail --help

touch

update the time stamp on existing files, create new empty files

touch file

Basic Option:

--help basic usage description

touch --help

umask

display or set the accesses to be denied on newly created files

Each # indicates which accesses (if any) are to be denied to a class of user. The first affects the user (you), the second affects the group, and the third affects all others. If a # is 0 then no access is denied that class of user, 1 denies execute access, 2 denies write access, 4 denies read access, 3 is the sum of 1 and 2 (no execute or write access), 5 is the sum of 4 and 1 (no execute or read access), etc. umask 077 would allow full access by the user and deny all others any access. Usually this command is placed in the file .login to be executed every time you log in.

umask ###

If used alone, display current value, leading zeros not shown

umask

display the number of lines, words and characters in a file

wc filename

Basic Option:

--help basic usage description

wc --help

Work Environment

alias

create a new name for a command or series of commands

alias newname oldname

chsh

change login shell

chsh

clear

clear the terminal screen

clear

echo

display indicated text or variable contents

echo text

echo $varname

exit

log off the system

exit

display your system ID numbers

if given a username, display their ID numbers

id

id username

logout

log off the system

logout

passwd

change the login password

passwd

printenv

show your current environment variable settings

if given an environment variable name display that setting

printenv

printenv varname

script

make a copy of everything displayed on the screen

Useful for capturing error messages and program execution
Usage: to end scripting, type a <CTRL>d

script filename

Options:

-a append to file rather than overwrite
-h basic usage description

script -a filename

script -h

setenv

set environment variables

setenv varname value

unalias

unset an alias that was previously set

unalias aliasname

unsetenv

unset environment variables

unsetenv varname

reset

reset the terminal screen

reset

whoami

display the current username

whoami

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

whoami -h

Controlling your jobs

run the indicated job in the background

bg %job#

move a job from the background to the foreground

fg %job#

jobs

list current jobs and their status

jobs

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

jobs -h

kill

terminate a process

kill %job#

kill process#

nohup

run a command immune to hang-ups

Notes: Standard input, output, and error must be redirected or will be lost. Over use or frivolous use of this can be considered abuse of the system.

nohup command

list current processes

ps

News Programs

msg

use nn to read the system announcements newsgroup

msg

news reading program

if given a newsgroup name, read only that newsgroup

nn

nn newsgroupname

nnpost

news posting utility

nnpost

Emacs Text Editor

emacs

the emacs editor

emacs filename

teach-emacs

the emacs on-line tutorial

teach-emacs

Languages

adb

general purpose program debugger

adb objectcode

C compiler:

cc file.c

Basic Option:

-flags basic usage description

cc -flags

C++ compiler:

CC file.c

Basic Option:

-flags basic usage description

CC -flags

dbx

program debugger

dbx executable

f77

FORTRAN 77 compiler:

f77 file.f

Basic Option:

-flags basic usage description

f77 -flags

f90

FORTRAN 90 compiler:

f90 file.f90

Basic Option:

-flags basic usage description

f90 -flags

gcc

Gnu C compiler:

gcc file.c

g++

Gnu C++ compiler:

g++ file.c

lint

attempts to detect features of C programs that are likely to be errors, non-portable, or wasteful

lint file.c

Basic Option:

-flags basic usage description

lint -flags

make

facilitates compilation of several program modules

make

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

make -h

Pascal compiler:

pc file.p

Basic Option:

-flags basic usage description

pc -flags

Web Browsers

lynx

text only web browser, usable in telnet sessions

lynx

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

lynx -h

netscape

graphic web browser, usable on X terminals

netscape &

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

netscape -h

Miscellaneous Information

cal

display the calendar of the current month

if given a complete year number (02 = 2, not 2002), display that year
if given a month and year number (01 = January), display that specific month

cal

cal yr#
cal mo# yr#

date

show the current system date and time

date

dict

electronic dictionary, thesaurus, familiar quotations, and CIA world factbook

dict

Options:

-d dictionary, default action
-t thesaurus
-q familiar quotations
-w CIA world factbook

dict -d

dict -t
dict -q
dict -w

units

converts units in one scale to another

units

Basic Option:

-h basic usage description

units -h

Metacharacters

Metacharacters are a group of characters that have special meanings to the UNIX operating system. Metacharacters can make many tasks easier by allowing you to redirect information from one command to another or to a file, string multiple commands together on one line, or have other effects on the commands they are issued in. The following table lists some of the metacharacters for the Rutgers default shell (the T shell).

Metacharacter

Description

*

A wild card character that matches any group of characters of any length, allowing a user to specify a large group of items with a short string. For example, to specify all the files that start with 'abc', you use abc*.

?

A wild card character that matches any single character. Thus ls ??? lists files in the current directory whose names are only three characters long, while ls ???.* lists those files with a three letter main name and any extension.

[..]

A set of characters that can be matched. Thus ls [a-c]*.??? lists all files that begin with a, b, or c and have a three letter extension and lpr [ad]* prints all files that begin with a or d.

$

Indicates that the following text is the name of a shell (environment) variable whose value is to be used.

|

Separates commands to form a pipe (see redirection in "Intermediate Use Of The UNIX Operating System").

<

Redirect the standard input (see redirection in "Intermediate Use Of The UNIX Operating System").

>

Redirect the standard output (see redirection in "Intermediate Use Of The UNIX Operating System") replace current contents.

>>

Redirect the standard output (see redirection in "Intermediate Use Of The UNIX Operating System") appends to current contents.

>&

Redirect the standard output and standard error (see redirection in "Intermediate Use Of The UNIX Operating System") replace current contents.

>>&

Redirect the standard output an standard error (see redirection in "Intermediate Use Of The UNIX Operating System") appends to current contents.

%

Introduces a job name (see multitasking in "Intermediate Use Of The UNIX Operating System").

&

Place a process into the background (see multitasking in "Intermediate Use Of The UNIX Operating System").

()

Encloses a sequence of commands or pipes to be executed as a single command.

!

Precedes a history substitution (see "man history")

;

Separates sequences of commands (or pipes) that are on one line.

&&

Separates two sequences of commands or pipes the second of which is executed only if the first succeeds.

||

Separates two sequences of commands or pipes the second of which is executed only if the first fails.

\

Used to "quote" the following metacharacter so it it treated as a plain character, as in \*.

Command Line Editing

In the default Rutgers UNIX shell (the T shell) with the default editor set to emacs, commands may be edited and previous commands retrieved using control characters:

<CTRL>a

move the cursor to the beginning of the line

<CTRL>b

move the cursor to the left

<CTRL>c

abort the current command

<CTRL>d

if not at end of the command line, delete the character at the cursor
if at end of command line, list possible command (or file) name completions

<CTRL>e

move the cursor to the end of the line

<CTRL>f

move the cursor to the right

<CTRL>h

delete the character to the left of the cursor

<CTRL>k

erase from the cursor to the end of the line

<CTRL>l

clear the screen and display current line

<CTRL>n

bring up next command line

<CTRL>p

bring up previous command line

<CTRL>q

continue displaying to the screen (see <CTRL>s)

<CTRL>r

redisplay the current line

<CTRL>s

stop displaying to the screen (see <CTRL>q)

<CTRL>t

exchange the character to the left of the cursor with the character at the cursor

<CTRL>u

erase the current line

<CTRL>w

will erase from the cursor to the beginning of the line

<CTRL>y

yank back the last item erased by <CTRL>k, <CTRL>u, or <CTRL>w

<ESC> b

move the cursor to the left one "word"

<ESC> f

move the cursor to the right one "word"

<ESC> c

move the cursor to the right one "word", capitalizing while moving

<ESC> l

move the cursor to the right one "word", making lower case while moving

<ESC> u

move the cursor to the right one "word", making upper case while moving