1 Unix/Linux Command List You Must Know (Weekly Cumulative)
This is a list of Unix/Linux command names used in this course and (eventually) the week number in which they were first introduced and described. A missing week number means the command hasn’t been formally introduced yet. This page is updated weekly as new commands are introduced.
Almost all these command names have manual pages. Command names that are built-in to the shell (e.g. cd, exit, pwd, history, etc.) are described somewhere in the man page for the bash shell and you can also use the BASH shell built-in help command to get information about built-in commands, e.g. help help and help pwd, etc.
This list only gives the names of the commands, not what the commands do or how to use them. As each command is introduced, you must keep your own notebook with these command names in it and a short description of what each command does; you will be required to learn and remember at least some of what each of these commands can do.
Solutions to assignments in this course use only these command names. If you want to use other command names, clear it with your instructor first.
WK Topic covered
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
01 How the course works; submitting to Blackboard; course information.
Remote Login to the Course Linux Server and simple commands
Recall terminal command line history using UpArrow DownArrow keys
Simple command line Output Redirection using >file.txt
File Transfer to/from the CLS
Terminal Control Characters: ^C ^L
Using Copy and Paste in PuTTY via mouse drag and right-click
More Terminal Control Characters: ^C ^L ^W ^U ^R
More Terminal Control Characters: ^D ^Z
RTFM Manual Pages
Absolute and Relative pathnames
Setting the BASH shell prompt: PS1='[\u@\h \W]\$ '
Finding files and basic commands
GLOB characters: * ? [...], aliases
I/O Redirection: stdin, stdout, stderr, < > | 2>&1, Pipes
Text Editors: basic VIM, nano (use VIM instead)
Shell local and environment variables, export, printenv
Start-up files (.bashrc .bash_profile)
Midterm Test #1 45 min - 10am Friday February 10 in the lecture class
Midterm Test #1 analysis
Search $PATH
Quoting
Linux File System
Inodes and hard links, ln
Disk Usage, du, quota
Symbolic links
Permissions: whoami, id, groups
Permissions: chmod, umask
Compression, archives, difference: gzip, tar, diff
system logs, dmesg, syslog
Processes, Jobs, Background, Foreground, Kill, Signals
Scheduling with crontab, at
Midterm Test #2 45 min 10am Friday March 17
Midterm Test #2 analysis
Shell scripts
*** Final Withdrawal Date Friday March 24 2017 (Week 10) ***
Shell command Substitution
Shell control statements, the "test" helper command
Shell control statements
Shell control statements; shell script problems
Final Exam (three hours)
WK Command name first introduced (read the course notes)
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
& (shell built-in)
&& (shell built-in)
|| (shell built-in)
$(( (shell built-in)
: (shell built-in)
alias (shell built-in)
apropos (same as man -k)
at
atq
atrm
awk '{print $1}' (also $2, $NF, etc.)
bash
bg (shell built-in)
bunzip2
bzip2
bzcat, bzless, bzfgrep, bzgrep, bzdiff, etc.
cal (9 1752)
case (shell built-in)
cat
cd (shell built-in)
chmod ( -R ugo[-+=]rwx octal_number )
clear (see also ^L)
cmatrix
cp ( -a -r -p )
crontab
cut
date
df
diff
dmesg
do (shell built-in)
du
echo (shell built-in and external)
elif (shell built-in)
elinks ( -dump -no-numbering -no-references )
else (shell built-in)
esac (shell built-in)
exit (shell built-in)
export (shell built-in)
expr (shell built-in)
false (shell built-in)
fg (shell built-ini: use after ^Z stops a process)
fgrep (same as grep -F) ( -i -v -w )
fi (shell built-in)
figlet
file
find ( -name -user -inum -size -print -ls )
for (shell built-in)
fortune
function (shell built-in)
grep (use fgrep instead until you learn regular expressions next term)
groups
gunzip
gzip
head
help (shell built-in)
history (shell built-in)
hostname
id
if (shell built-in)
jobs (shell built-in)
kill (shell built-in)
killall
less (similar to "more"; used by "man")
let (shell built-in)
ln ( -s )
locate ( see slocate )
ls ( -l -i -a -d -L )
mail ( -s )
man ( -k )
mkdir ( -p )
more (similar to "less")
mv
nano [*** USE VIM INSTEAD ***]
nl (same as "cat -n")
passwd
printenv
ps ( uaxww -efww )
pstree
pwd (shell built-in and also external)
quota -v
read (shell built-in)
rm ( -r -f )
rmdir
set (shell built-in)
shift (shell built-in)
shopt (shell built-in)
sl
sleep (60)
slocate
sort ( -f -n -r ) (see the weekly notes)
sum
tail
tar
test (shell built-in and also external) also known as [
then (shell built-in)
toilet ( --gay )
touch
tr
true (shell built-in)
tree
umask ( octal_number ) (shell built-in)
unalias ( -a ) (shell built-in)
uniq ( -c ) (see the weekly notes)
unzip
users
vi / vim / vimtutor
wc ( -l -w -c )
whereis
which
while (shell built-in)
who
whoami
whois (see the weekly notes)
zip
zcat, zless, zfgrep, zgrep, zdiff, etc.Keep a notebook with these command names in it and a short description of what each command does; you will be required to learn and remember at least some of what each of these commands can do.
Remember
