An A-Z Index of the Linux BASH command line

alias Create an alias

awk Find and Replace text, database sort/validate/index
break Exit from a loop
builtin Run a shell builtin

cal Display a calendar

case Conditionally perform a command
cat Display the contents of a file
cd Change Directory
cfdisk Partition table manipulator for Linux
chgrp Change group ownership
chmod Change access permissions
chown Change file owner and group
chroot Run a command with a different root directory
cksum Print CRC checksum and byte counts
clear Clear terminal screen
cmp Compare two files
comm Compare two sorted files line by line
command Run a command - ignoring shell functions
continue Resume the next iteration of a loop
cp Copy one or more files to another location
cron Daemon to execute scheduled commands
crontab Schedule a command to run at a later time
csplit Split a file into context-determined pieces
cut Divide a file into several parts

date Display or change the date & time

dc Desk Calculator
dd Data Dump - Convert and copy a file
declare Declare variables and give them attributes
df Display free disk space
diff Display the differences between two files
diff3 Show differences among three files
dir Briefly list directory contents
dircolors Colour setup for `ls'
dirname Convert a full pathname to just a path
dirs Display list of remembered directories
du Estimate file space usage

echo Display message on screen

ed A line-oriented text editor (edlin)
egrep Search file(s) for lines that match an extended expression
eject Eject CD-ROM
enable Enable and disable builtin shell commands
env Display, set, or remove environment variables
eval Evaluate several commands/arguments
exec Execute a command
exit Exit the shell
expand Convert tabs to spaces
export Set an environment variable
expr Evaluate expressions

factor Print prime factors

false Do nothing, unsuccessfully
fdformat Low-level format a floppy disk
fdisk Partition table manipulator for Linux
fgrep Search file(s) for lines that match a fixed string
find Search for files that meet a desired criteria
fmt Reformat paragraph text
fold Wrap text to fit a specified width.
for Expand words, and execute commands
format Format disks or tapes
free Display memory usage
fsck Filesystem consistency check and repair.
function Define Function Macros

gawk Find and Replace text within file(s)

getopts Parse positional parameters
grep Search file(s) for lines that match a given pattern
groups Print group names a user is in
gzip Compress or decompress named file(s)

hash Remember the full pathname of a name argument

head Output the first part of file(s)
history Command History
hostname Print or set system name

id Print user and group id's

if Conditionally perform a command
import Capture an X server screen and save the image to file
info Help info
install Copy files and set attributes

join Join lines on a common field

kill Stop a process from running

less Display output one screen at a time

let Perform arithmetic on shell variables
ln Make links between files
local Create variables
locate Find files
logname Print current login name
logout Exit a login shell
lpc Line printer control program
lpr Off line print
lprint Print a file
lprintd Abort a print job
lprintq List the print queue
lprm Remove jobs from the print queue
ls List information about file(s)

m4 Macro processor
man Help manual
mkdir Create new folder(s)
mkfifo Make FIFOs (named pipes)
mknod Make block or character special files
more Display output one screen at a time
mount Mount a file system
mtools Manipulate MS-DOS files
mv Move or rename files or directories
nice Set the priority of a command or job
nl Number lines and write files
nohup Run a command immune to hangups

passwd Modify a user password

paste Merge lines of files
pathchk Check file name portability
popd Restore the previous value of the current directory
pr Convert text files for printing
printcap Printer capability database
printenv Print environment variables
printf Format and print data
ps Process status
pushd Save and then change the current directory
pwd Print Working Directory

quota Display disk usage and limits

quotacheck Scan a file system for disk usage
quotactl Set disk quotas

ram ram disk device

rcp Copy files between two machines.
read read a line from standard input
readonly Mark variables/functions as readonly
remsync Synchronize remote files via email
return Exit a shell function
rm Remove files
rmdir Remove folder(s)
rpm Remote Package Manager
rsync Remote file copy (Synchronize file trees)

screen Terminal window manager

sdiff Merge two files interactively
sed Stream Editor
select Accept keyboard input
seq Print numeric sequences
set Manipulate shell variables and functions
shift Shift positional parameters
shopt Shell Options
shutdown Shutdown or restart linux
sleep Delay for a specified time
sort Sort text files
source Run commands from a file `.'
split Split a file into fixed-size pieces
su Substitute user identity
sum Print a checksum for a file
symlink Make a new name for a file
sync Synchronize data on disk with memory

tac Concatenate and write files in reverse

tail Output the last part of files
tar Tape ARchiver
tee Redirect output to multiple files
test Evaluate a conditional expression
time Measure Program Resource Use
times User and system times
touch Change file timestamps
top List processes running on the system
traceroute Trace Route to Host
trap Run a command when a signal is set(bourne)
tr Translate, squeeze, and/or delete characters
true Do nothing, successfully
tsort Topological sort
tty Print filename of terminal on stdin
type Describe a command

ulimit Limit user resources

umask Users file creation mask
umount Unmount a device
unalias Remove an alias
uname Print system information
unexpand Convert spaces to tabs
uniq Uniquify files
units Convert units from one scale to another
unset Remove variable or function names
unshar Unpack shell archive scripts
until Execute commands (until error)
useradd Create new user account
usermod Modify user account
users List users currently logged in
uuencode Encode a binary file
uudecode Decode a file created by uuencode

v Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b')

vdir Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b')
vi Text Editor

watch Execute/display a program periodically

wc Print byte, word, and line counts
whereis Report all known instances of a command
which Locate a program file in the user's path.
while Execute commands
who Print all usernames currently logged in
whoami Print the current user id and name (`id -un')

xargs Execute utility, passing constructed argument list(s)

yes Print a string until interrupted

.period Run commands from a file

### Comment / Remark

Below I have attempted to show how to use some basic commands. First you will
see the command and then some switches for that command. I really recommend
you buy a book on Linux such as Using Linux as it will help immensely. Sorry that
the commands are not in any particular order but I'll do that at a later date as I am
doing this off the top of my head.
logout
logout logs you out!
shutdown
shutdown shuts down and reboots are halts a system
shutdown -r now reboots a system immediately. You can also specify a time to
reboot say shutdown -r 09:30
shutdown -h now halts your system so you can turn it off. You must halt a system
to turn it off.
ls
ls shows the content of your current directly.
ls -l shows the files in long format i.e. the owner of the file, rights etc.
ls -a show hidden files like .bash_profile which does not show up with regular ls.
there are like 25 other switches but these are used most often.
ln
ln creates a link from a directory or device to another directory or device,
remember the link you made when setting up your modem? A very good use for
this is make what is called a symbolic link to a directory. Say your in /root and you
hate having to type say ls /usr/local/myfiles to display what is in this directory you
always put files in. Type ln -s /usr/local/myfiles myfiles. You now have a symbolic
link in your home directory to /usr/local/myfiles. Now if you just type ls myfiles
the link points to the actual directory. If you download something to you /root
directory. Type say mv testdownload.tar.gz myfiles and you save a lot of time.
mount
Filesystems are mounted by what's in you /etc/fstab file. Go ahead and look at it.
You'll see Filesystems that are mounted at startup and Filesystems that are user
mountable like you floppy and cdrom.
How do I mount my cdrom? mount /mnt/cdrom.
How do I mount my floppy? mount /mnt/floppy. Don't forget to umount it when
your done!
How do I mount a dos floppy? mount -t msdos /dev/fd0 /mnt/floppy
These all call the /etc/fstab file to see how they should be mounted. If you read up
on /etc/fstab you'll see Filesystems are mounted with options. For instance the
cdrom is not mounted at bootup and is read only. Please note that /mnt/floppy
and /mnt/cdrom are made by default. If you want to be able to mount other files
systems like your win95 partition do this. Mkdir /mnt/vfat. To mount it at any time
type mount -t vfat /dev/hda1 /mnt/vfat. hda1 is the first partition on your hard
drive, hda2 is the second, hdb1 is the first partition on your second hard drive.
Read up on mount as it is useful. Lastly all of these can be put in /etc/fstab so that
you can simply type mount /mnt/vfat for example. I recommend not editing this
file directly unless you know what you are doing. An easy way to do this is use
linuxconf which should be installed by default on your system. Lastly is your
wondering if there is a gui to do this yes there is, type usermount on RedHat
systems.
pwd
pwd shows your current directory position
cd
cd changes to a directory ex cd /usr/local. cd on its own brings you to your home
directory.
cd .. moves up one directory from you current
mv
mv moves a file to a directory
mv test test2 simply moves test to the test2 file, note its like renaming it.
cp
cp copies a file. You can copy a file to a directory and also rename it while copying

cp can also be used to copy directories. Example cp -r /root/mail /usr/local

mkdir
mkdir makes a directory
mkdir can make a directory anywhere ex mkdir /etc/sysconfig/testdir
rm
rm removes a file and can also be used to rm directories
rm -Rf /root removes everything in your /root directory without prompts, DON'T
DO THIS!!!!
touch
touch creates an empty file
touch test makes an empty file called test you can then edit it with say emacs test
I guess I should now explain that files in Linux are either readable or executable.
They can also be linked to apps like in windows 95 but for now just accept my
explanation.
less
less displays the contents of a file on your screen with the ability to scroll up and
down
more
more also display the contents of a file but you can only go down not up and only
with the enter key
exec
exec executes a file or more likely a script of binary.
exec /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifup ppp0 starts an internet session
Note that this is easier then cd to /etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ then typing ./ifup
ppp0.
Also note that if a directory is in your path statement (remember buy a book) you
simply need to type a command at a prompt. So if /bin is in your path which it is
most likely typing say ls at a prompt negates having to type exec /bin/ls.
tar
tar is just confusing to some people so here is my attempt to make it easy.
Say you download a file called test.tar to untar it you simply type tar -xvf test.tar
and its contents will be extracted. Most of the time you will download test.tar.gz
files which are gziped kind of like winzip or pkzip. To deal with them type tar-xvzf
test.tar.gz to extract the files.
tar can also be used to archive files.
type tar -cvf test.tar * this will archive all files in your current directory into a file
called test.tar.
this is a useful way to backup files. To also compress or zip them type tar -cvzf
test.tar.gz * .
gzip gunzip bzip etc
these are compression commands type man gzip or bzip to see how to use them.
Basically take a file called test. Type gzip test it compresses the file and adds the
.gz extenstion. Bzip acts just the same. Remember that if you have a file that is
gzipped and tarred type tar -xvzf to extract it or tar -cvzf to create it.
dmesg
this dumps your startup messages to the screen. Notice on startup how you get all
of those messages scrolling by. Type dmesg | more to be able to scroll through
them.
who
who displays who is logged on the system, you'll probably see you name a few
times.
ps
ps displays the current processes that are running and there process id or number.
top
top is a program and not a command but it very useful. Type top at a prompt to see
what processes are going on, how big they are, they cpu usage etc. Hit q to quit.
cat
cat like less dumps the output of a file to your screen but allows no scrolling just a
dump.
grep
grep goes through a file and displays text you searched for. See the next section for
more info on using commands together like cat and grep