The following table is for those who know exactly what they want to do when they sit down in front of a terminal and need a lead on the corresponding UNIX command/utility. Common computing tasks in the left-hand column, and the conforming UNIX command/utility in the right-hand column. Note that the left-hand column is alphabetized by bold-face keywords.
If you want to... | Use the UNIX command/utility... |
---|---|
append other files to an existing file | cat |
create a tape archive | tar, cpio |
search for ASCII strings within binary files | strings |
search and replace ASCII characters | tr |
create a tape backup | tar, cpio |
print a 10-character banner | banner |
start the Bourne shell | sh |
start the C shell | csh |
perform math calculations | bc, dc |
display current month in calendar form | cal |
call another terminal | ct |
call another UNIX system | cu |
cancel jobs scheduled with the at command | atrm |
cancel print job | cancel |
chat with another user on the network | talk, ytalk |
calculate a file's checksum | sum |
clear the screen | clear |
display a column from a sorted file | cut |
strip column-formatting commands | col |
combine presorted files with a common field | join |
combine several files into a new file | cat |
run command at a specific time | at |
run a series of commands | batch |
time a command | time, timex |
compare contents of two directories | dircmp |
compare contents of two presorted files | comm |
compare three files to see if they are different | diff3 |
compare two files and report on differing lines | diff |
compare two files and return differing lines | bdiff |
compare two files to see if they are different | cmp |
compare two files and report differences and commonalities | sdiff |
compile C programs | gcc |
compile C++ programs | g++ |
compress a file | compress, pack |
copy a file | cat, cp |
copy files to and from networked remote systems | rcp |
copy files to and from remote UNIX system | uucp |
count the number of words in text file | wc |
create a new text file | cat, vi, ex, joe, pico |
change current directory | cd |
stop a current process | kill |
display date and time | date |
change a file's date to the current date | touch |
decode file after communications | uudecode |
delete a file | rm |
create a directory | mkdir |
display disk space used by a directory | du |
generate a directory listing | ls |
change current working directory | cd |
remove a directory | rmdir |
return current working directory | pwd |
compare the contents of two directories | dircmp |
display free or total disk space | df |
display disk space used by a directory | du |
display a file | cat, page |
display a file one screen at a time | more |
display first ten lines of a file | head |
display last ten lines of a file | tail |
display packed files | pcat |
edit a text file | vi, ed, pico, joe |
send electronic mail | mail, mailx, elm, pine |
send return electronic mail when you're one vacation | vacation |
notify you when electronic mail arrives | notify |
encode file before communications | uuencode |
encrypt a file | crypt |
display or set environment variables | env |
format equations | eqn, neqn |
erase a file | rm |
exit | exit |
copy a file | cat, cp |
create a new text file | cat, vi |
change a file's date to the current date | touch |
display a file | cat, page |
display a file one screen at a time | more |
display first ten lines of a file | head |
display last ten lines of a file | tail |
edit a file | vi, ed |
encrypt a file | crypt |
erase a file | rm |
find a file | find |
format a structured file | awk, nawk |
send output to file as well as screen | tee |
change ownership of file | chown |
move a file or multiple files | mv |
display a column from a sorted file | cut |
sort a file | sort |
sort a structured file | awk, nawk |
search a structured file | awk, nawk, grep |
split a file into smaller files | csplit, split |
determine file type | file |
change file-access permissions | chmod |
create or determine default file-access permissions | umask |
append other files to an existing file | cat |
combine presorted files with a common field | join |
compare contents of two presorted files | comm |
compare three files to see if they are different | diff3 |
compare two files and report on differing lines | diff |
compare two files and return differing lines | bdiff |
compare two files to see if they are different | cmp |
display packed files | pcat |
merge files side by side | paste |
change group membership of files | chgrp |
list files | ls |
link files | ln |
search for ASCII strings within binary files | strings |
remove files | rm |
find the full filename | basename |
find a file | find |
format equations | eqn, neqn |
format tables | tbl |
format text file | newform |
format a structured file | awk, nawk |
format text for laser printer | troff |
format text for line printer | nroff |
format text (right justify) | fmt |
format text to specific width | fold |
log in new group | newgrp |
find what groups a user belongs to | groups |
get help | man, apropos, whatis |
display user ID | id |
start Korn shell | ksh |
insert line numbers in text file | nl |
link files | ln |
list files | ls |
save a log of your current computing session | script |
log in as another user | su |
log in new group | newgrp |
log in remote system | rlogin, telnet |
log in system | login |
print your log in name | logname |
print logins to other remote systems | uulog |
log off system | exit |
run a command even after you log off the system | nohup |
show who is logged on the system | who, rwho |
run a command at a low priority | nice |
send electronic mail | mail, mailx, elm, pine |
send return electronic mail when your on vacation | vacation |
notify you when mail arrives | notify |
peform math calculations | bc, dc |
merge files side by side | paste |
send message to all users loffed on the system | wall |
turn on/off the ability to receive messages from other users | mesg |
move a file or multiple files | mv |
display system news | news |
show status of all machines on network | ruptime |
run a command nicely (at a lower priority) | nice |
send output to file as well as screen | tee |
change ownership of file | chown |
change group ownership of files | chgrp |
pack a file | compress, pack |
display packed files | pcat |
set your password | passwd |
pause before executing a command | sleep |
lpr | |
prepare a file for printing | pr |
print a 10-character banner | banner |
cancel print job | cancel |
print jobs scheduled with at command | atq |
show status of print requests | lpstat |
start print spooler | lpsched |
stop print spooler | lpshut |
stop a current process | kill |
show current processes | ps |
quit | exit |
schedule recurring tasks | crontab |
start a remote shell on a remote system | rsh |
copy files to and from remote system | rcp, uucp, ftp |
log on remote system | telnet, rlogin |
run a UNIX command on a remote system | uux |
print logins to other remote systems | uulog |
remove a directory | rmdir |
remove files | rm |
rename a file | mv |
run a UNIX command on a remote system | uux |
schedule personal events | calendar |
schedule recurring tasks | crontab |
search a structured file | awk, nawk, grep |
search for text string | egrep, grep, fgrep |
searh and replace ASCII characters | tr |
sort a file | sort |
sort a structured file | awk, nawk |
check spelling in text file | spell |
split a file into smaller files | csplit, split |
display to standard output | echo |
show status of all machines on the network | ruptime |
search for text string | egrep, grep, fgrep |
strip column-formatting commands | col |
strip formatting commands | deroff |
return UNIX system name | uname |
display system news | news |
list systems that you can communicate with | uuname |
format tables | tbl |
set tabs | tabs |
create a tape backup | tar, cpio |
display terminal information | tput |
display terminal options | tty |
set terminal configuration | stty |
check spelling in text file | spell |
format text file | newform |
format text for laser printer | troff |
format text for line printer | nroff |
format text (right justify) | fmt |
format text to specific width | fold |
insert line numbers in text file | nl |
create a new text file | cat, vi, pico |
search for text string | egrep, grep, fgrep |
display date and time | date |
run command at specific time | at |
time a command | time, timex |
determine file type | file |
uncompress a file | uncompress |
unpack a file | unpack |
display user ID | id |
list users | listusers |
display information about other users on the system | who |
find information about other users on the system | finger |
show status of uucp requests | uustat |
send return mail when your on vacation | vacation |
force shell to wait | wait |
write message to other user on the network | write |
count the nubmer of words in text file | wc |
return the current working directory | pwd |