Updated: 2017-12-21 10:23 EST
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.
01 Remote Login to the Course Linux Server and simple commands
02 Recall terminal command line history using UpArrow DownArrow keys
02 Simple command line Output Redirection using >file.txt
02 File Transfer to/from the CLS
02 Terminal Control Characters: ^C ^L
02 Using Copy and Paste in PuTTY via mouse drag and right-click
02 More Terminal Control Characters: ^C ^L ^W ^U ^R
02 More Terminal Control Characters: ^D ^Z
02 RTFM Manual Pages
03 Absolute and Relative pathnames
03 Setting the BASH shell prompt: PS1='[\u@\h \W]\$ '
03 Finding files and basic commands
03 GLOB characters: * ? [...], aliases
03 Text Editors: basic VIM, nano (use VIM instead)
04 I/O Redirection: stdin, stdout, stderr, < > | 2>&1, Pipes
05 Midterm Test #1 45 min - in the lecture class
05 Shell local and environment variables, export, printenv
05 Start-up files (.bashrc .bash_profile)
06 Midterm Test #1 analysis
06 Search $PATH
06 Quoting
07 Linux File System
07 Inodes and hard links, ln
08 Disk Usage, du, quota
08 Symbolic links
08 Permissions: whoami, id, groups, chmod
09 Permissions: umask
09 Compression, archives, difference: gzip, tar, diff
09 Midterm Test #2 45 min - in the one-hour lecture class
10 Midterm Test #2 analysis
10 System logs, dmesg, syslog
10 Processes, Jobs, Background, Foreground, Kill, Signals
10 Scheduling with crontab, at
10 *** Final Withdrawal Date Friday December 15 2017 (Week 10) ***
11 Introduction to Shell Scripts and positional parameters $0, $1, $#, $*, $@
11 Shell command Substitution using $(...)
11 Command exit status and $?
11 Debugging shell scripts with -v and -x
12 ** No MONDAY classes in WEEK 12 on January 1 due to holiday **
12 ** No TUESDAY section 020 lecture in WEEK 12 on January 2 (cancelled) **
12 Example Shell Scripts and review for Final Exam
13 Final Exam (1hr 50min in your lecture class Mon Jan 8 or Tue Jan 9)
13 ** No THURSDAY section 020 lecture in WEEK 13 on January 11 (cancelled) **
13 ** No FRIDAY classes in WEEK 13 on January 12 due to term end **
-- (moved to next term:) Shell control statements, the "test" helper command
-- (moved to next term:) Shell control statements
-- (moved to next term:) Shell control statements; shell script problems
WK Command name first introduced (read the course notes)
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
10 & (shell built-in)
-- && (shell built-in)
-- || (shell built-in)
11 $(( (shell built-in)
11 $(...) and `...` (shell built-in)
-- : (shell built-in)
03 alias (shell built-in)
02 apropos (same as man -k)
10 at ( -c )
10 atq
10 atrm
05 awk '{print $1}' (also $2, $NF, etc.)
02 bash
10 bg (shell built-in)
09 bunzip2
09 bzip2
09 bzcat, bzless, bzfgrep, bzgrep, bzdiff, etc.
01 cal (9 1752)
-- case (shell built-in)
01 cat
02 cd (shell built-in)
08 chmod ( -R ugo[-+=]rwx octal_number )
03 clear (see also ^L)
01 cmatrix -s
03 cp ( -a -r -p )
10 crontab ( -l -e -r )
04 cut
01 date
07 df
08 diff
10 dmesg
-- do (shell built-in)
07 du
01 echo (shell built-in and external)
-- elif (shell built-in)
04 elinks ( -dump -no-numbering -no-references )
-- else (shell built-in)
-- esac (shell built-in)
01 exit (shell built-in)
05 export (shell built-in)
11 expr (shell built-in)
11 false (shell built-in)
02 fg (shell built-ini: use after ^Z stops a process)
03 fgrep (same as grep -F) ( -i -v -w )
-- fi (shell built-in)
01 figlet
02 file
03 find ( -name -user -inum -size -print -ls )
-- for (shell built-in)
02 fortune
10 from
-- function (shell built-in)
03 grep (use fgrep instead until you learn regular expressions next term)
09 groups
09 gunzip
09 gzip
03 head
03 help (shell built-in)
02 history (shell built-in)
06 hostname
08 id
-- if (shell built-in)
10 jobs (shell built-in)
10 kill (shell built-in)
10 killall
02 less (similar to "more"; used by "man")
11 let (deprecated shell built-in)
08 ln ( -s )
03 locate ( see slocate )
02 ls ( -l -i -a -d -L -t )
10 mail ( -s )
02 man ( -k )
03 mkdir ( -p )
03 more (similar to "less")
03 mv
03 nano [*** USE VIM INSTEAD ***]
04 nl (same as "cat -n")
02 passwd
05 printenv
10 ps ( uaxww -efww )
10 pstree
02 pwd (shell built-in and also external)
08 quota -v
-- read (shell built-in)
02 rm ( -r -f )
03 rmdir
05 set (shell built-in)
11 sh (symlink to "/bin/dash" on Ubuntu CLS)
11 shift (shell built-in)
05 shopt (shell built-in)
01 sl
03 sleep (60)
03 slocate
04 sort ( -f -n -r ) (see the weekly notes)
03 sum
04 tail
09 tar
-- test (shell built-in and also external) also known as [
-- then (shell built-in)
01 toilet ( --gay )
10 top
03 touch
04 tr
11 true (shell built-in)
03 tree
08 umask ( octal_number ) (shell built-in)
03 unalias ( -a ) (shell built-in)
04 uniq ( -c ) (see the weekly notes and examples of pipes)
09 unzip
01 users
03 vi / vim / vimtutor
02 wc ( -l -w -c )
06 whereis
06 which
-- while (shell built-in)
01 who
06 whoami
03 whois (see the weekly notes)
09 zip
09 zcat, zless, zfgrep, zgrep, zdiff, etc.
Commands flagged with a week of “--
” were not covered this term (Fall 2017) due to the shortened school term (13 weeks). Look for them next term in CST8177.
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.