Basic Unix Concepts

Due: end of Friday lab

"Review questions" refers to the review questions at the back of each chapter in the textbook. Unless stated otherwise, "all questions" means "all review questions, including the advanced review questions".

The printed answers to this problem set must be submitted to your lab instructor at the end of your lab period on Friday.  You may use any text editor or word processor you like to create the printed copy.  Your instructor can show you some basic Unix GUI editors and how to print from each editor.

Chapter 1

Read Chapter 1 and answer these questions:

1. Review questions: 4, 5, 6, 7
2. What is the difference between a file and a link?
3. What is a directory?
4. What is a Unix shell?
5. Of what use are shell file matching patterns?
6. What is a Unix pipe?
7. Why are Unix command names so terse?

Chapter 2

Proceed through Chapter 2, doing the exercises given in the textbook.  You will have questions - be sure to ask your lab instructor for assistance.

To proceed through Chapter 2, you will need to log in to Unix and open a terminal window that has a Unix shell prompt.  See the instructor if you do not know how to do this.  You can open multiple windows, each with its own shell prompt.

If you are logged in using the student1 account (and not using your own account name), you must take precautions when doing exercises that the file names you use are not the same as the file names used by the other students also using the same account.  Things will not work correctly if many students all try to edit or remove the same file names.  If you are sharing a login account with other students, see your instructor before attempting the exercises.

If you are working under your own account, no special precautions are necessary.

Answer these questions on Chapter 2:

1. Review questions: all
2. What is the character sent by the BackSpace key on your keyboard?
3. Pushing the BackSpace key should erase a character.  If it doesn't work, how would you use the Unix stty command to change your character-erase character?   (See textbook, pages 501 and 705; in the online manual pages see "man stty".)
4. What character is used to interrupt running programs?  (This is called the interrupt character.)
5. How would you use the Unix stty command to change your interrupt character?
6. What would you type at the shell prompt to have the Unix rm command remove a file with a file name containing a shell special character such as a semicolon - ; - or an ampersand - & -?

Print and submit your answers to the lab instructor by the given due date and time.