Updated: 2015-11-30 06:11 EST
This is a list of basic 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.
02 Remote Login to the Course Linux Server and simple commands
02 Recall terminal command line history using UpArrow DownArrow keys
02 Using Copy and Paste in PuTTY via mouse drag and right-click
02 Basic Terminal Control Characters: ^C ^L ^W ^U ^R
02 Simple command line Output Redirection using >file.txt
02 File Transfer to/from the CLS
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
04 I/O Redirection: stdin, stdout, stderr, < > | 2>&1, Pipes
05 Midterm Test #1 45 min Friday October 9
06 Midterm Test #1 analysis (marks)
06 Start-up files (.bashrc .bash_profile)
06 Shell local and environment variables, export, printenv
07 Search $PATH
07 Quoting
07 Linux File System
07 Inodes and hard links, ln
07 Disk Usage, du, quota, symbolic links
08 Permissions: whoami, id, groups, chmod
09 Midterm #1 review, Midterm #2 preparation
09 Midterm #2 45 min Friday November 6
10 Midterm #2 analysis (marks)
10 *** Final Withdrawal Date Friday November 13 ***
10 Permissions: chmod, umask
10 system logs, dmesg, syslog, scheduling with crontab, at
10 Processes, Jobs, Background, Foreground, Kill, Signals
11 Shell scripts, control statements, the test helper command
11 Command Substitution
13 Regular Expressions and POSIX character classes
14 Midterm #1 and #2 review ; review for Final Exam
15 Final Exam 3 hrs Saturday December 19 08h00 (8am to 11am) -- T117/119
WK Command name first introduced (read the course notes)
-- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
13 && (shell built-in)
13 || (shell built-in)
12 $(( (shell built-in)
12 : (shell built-in)
03 alias (shell built-in)
02 apropos (synonym for: man -k)
10 at
10 atq
10 atop
10 atrm
05 awk '{print $1}' (also $2, $NF, etc.)
06 bash
10 bg (shell built-in)
02 cal (9 1752)
12 case (shell built-in)
02 cat
03 cd (shell built-in)
08 chmod ( -R ugo[-+=]rwx octal_number )
03 clear (see also ^L)
03 cp ( -a -r -p )
10 crontab
05 cut
02 date
07 df
11 diff
10 dmesg
12 do (shell built-in)
07 du
02 echo (shell built-in and external)
12 elif (shell built-in)
04 elinks ( -dump -no-numbering -no-references )
11 else (shell built-in)
12 esac (shell built-in)
02 exit (shell built-in)
06 export (shell built-in)
12 expr (shell built-in)
12 false (shell built-in)
02 fg (shell built-ini: use after ^Z stops a process)
03 fgrep (same as grep -F) ( -i -v -w )
11 fi (shell built-in)
02 figlet
02 file
03 find ( -name -user -inum -size -print -ls )
12 for (shell built-in)
13 function (shell built-in)
03 grep ( -i -v -w ) (but use fgrep in this course)
08 groups
03 head
06 help (shell built-in)
02 history (shell built-in)
07 hostname
08 id
11 if (shell built-in)
10 jobs (shell built-in)
10 kill (shell built-in)
10 killall
02 less (similar to "more"; used by "man")
12 let (shell built-in)
07 ln ( -s )
03 locate ( see slocate )
02 ls ( -l -i -a -d -L )
10 mail ( -s )
02 man ( -k )
03 mkdir ( -p )
03 more (similar to "less")
03 mv
04 nano [*** USE VIM INSTEAD ***]
04 nl (same as "cat -n")
03 passwd ( username )
06 printenv
10 ps ( uaxww -efww )
10 pstree
03 pwd (shell built-in and also external)
08 quota -v
03 rm ( -r -f )
03 rmdir
06 set (shell built-in)
12 shift (shell built-in)
06 shopt (shell built-in)
03 sleep (60)
03 slocate
04 sort ( -f -n -r ) (see the weekly notes)
03 sum
03 tail
11 test (shell built-in and also external) also known as [
11 then (shell built-in)
02 toilet ( --gay )
03 touch
04 tr
12 true (shell built-in)
03 tree
10 umask ( octal_number ) (shell built-in)
03 unalias ( -a ) (shell built-in)
04 uniq ( -c ) (see the weekly notes)
02 users
03 vi / vim / vimtutor
02 wc ( -l -w -c )
07 whereis
07 which
12 while (shell built-in)
02 who
08 whoami
03 whois (see the weekly notes)
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.