A Basic Guide to UNIX Commands


UNIX is case senstitive:  cd  ≠  CD


$ - represents the unix prompt in the working (current) directory


  This is a screen shot of a sample unix command prompt. 

                                                                               In the table below italics represent file names and bolds represent directory names
Command
 Function
 Example
Directory level
cd
 Changes to a sub-directory
 $ cd stuff
                         
Takes you to the home directory $ cd
mkdir
 Makes new directory
 $ mkdir stuff
rmdir
 Removes the directory
 $ rmdir stuff
ls -l
 Lists all files and directories with read write and executer privileges
 $ ls -l
pwd
 Shows the working (current) directory you are in
 $ pwd
~
 Represents home directory

Takes you to the home directory
 $ cd ~
..
 Represents the directory located one level above

Opens directory above
 $ cd ..
.
 Represents the directory that you are currently in
/
 Represents the directory one level below

Opens a directory one level below
 $ cd ./stuff



File level
ls
 Displays files and subdirectories in the working (current) directory
$ ls
cp
 Copies a file to the new name you give it
 $ cp file1 file2
rm
 Deletes a file
 $ rm file1
mv
 Moves files to the specified directory
 $ mv file stuff
find
 Finds a file location
 $ find ./ -name file1
more
 Displays a file's contents, one screen at a time
(use Spacebar to display next page;
use Enter to display next line)
 $ more file1
cat
 Displays a file's entire contents
 $ cat file1
vi
 Edits a file
 $ vi file1
*
 Wildcard, when searching for a file, a * at the end of a
letter searches for all files with that beginning
 $ find ./ -name f*



Network
mail
 Dispalys mail
 $ mail
write
 Sends a message to a user's screen
 $ write smithj hi
finger
 Displays information on a user
 $ finger smithj
logout
 Quits terminal and logs out
 $ logout
yppasswd
 Changes your password
 $ passwd
who
 Displays current sessions (users)
$ who
whoami
 Displays your user name
 $ whoami



Miscellaneous
man, info
 Displays manual (help) pages for a command
 $ man mv

will display help pages for the mv command
date
 Displays the date and time
 $ date
quota -v
Displays disk space available and used
 $ quota -v
                                                                                                                 


This web page was created by Ryan Pifer.
email: piferr at ncssm.edu