DOS Command UNIX or Bash Command Action

DIR ls -l (or use ls -lF)(-a all files)

(df -k Space remaining on filesystem) List directory contents
DIR *.* /o-d ls -tr List directory contents by reverse time of modification/creation.
DIR *.* /v /os ls -ls List files and size
DIR /s ls -R List directory/sub-directory contents recursively.
DIR /aa ls -a List hidden files.
TREE ls -R List directory recursivly
CD cd Change directory
MKDIR
MD mkdir Make a new directory
ASSIGN ln Create a file or directory link
RMDIR
RD rmdir Remove a directory
CHDIR pwd Display directory location
DEL
ERASE rm -iv Remove a file
RMDIR /S (NT)
DELTREE (Win 95...) rm -R Remove all directories and files below given directory
COPY cp -piv Copy a file
XCOPY cp -R Copy all file of directory recursivly
RENAME or MOVE mv -iv Rename/move a file
TYPE cat Dump contents of a file to users screen
MORE more Pipe output a single page at a time
HELP or COMMAND /? man Online manuals
clear
CLS ctrl-l Clear screen
EXIT exit Exit a shell
EXIT0 exit 0
FIND
FINDSTR grep Look for a word in files given in command line
Compare two files and show differences. Also see comm, cmp, mgdiff
COMP diff and tkdiff.
Compare two files and show differences. Also see comm, cmp, mgdiff
FC diff and tkdiff.
SET set and env List all environment variables
SET variable =value set Set environment variables
echo %variable % Show environment variables
export variable =value
echo $variable

ECHO text echo text Echo text to screen

setenv (for C shell) or export VAR=val (for

SET variable Korn shell. Also VAR=val ) Set environment variables
PATH echo $PATH Display search path for executables.
PATH %PATH%;C:\DIR PATH=$PATH:/dir Set PATH environment variable.
PROMPT $p$g export PS1='\h(\u)\W> ' Set user command prompt.
DATE or TIME date Show date. (also set date - DOS only)
DOSKEY /h history List command history
DOSKEY NAME=command alias NAME=command Set command alias
BREAK ON trap Trap ctrl-break / Trap signals.
SORT sort Sort data alphabetically/numerically
EDLIN ed Line mode editor
EDIT filename.txt Edit a file. The Linux editor which looks most like DOS edit is probably
pico, gnp, vi, xedit, xemacs,dtpad Pico. (Not a recomendation!)
BACKUP files A:\ tar -cvf /dev/fd0 files Save files to floppy.
mdir, mcopy See Using DOS floppies
doswrite -a file (AIX only)
tar -xvf /dev/fd0 files Read files from floppy.
mdir, mcopy See Using DOS floppies
RESTORE A:\ files dosread -a file (AIX only)
ATTRIB [+r|-r] [+a|-a] [+s|-s] Change file permissions. DOS: +:set to -:remove r:Read only a:Archive
[path\file] /s chmod s:System /s:recursively
ATTRIB +h or -h mv file .file Change file to a hidden file - rename file with prefix "."
PRINT lpr Print a file
CALL source script (cshrc)
COMMAND /C (DOS), CMD (NT)
. script (bash)
sh script Execute script from within batch shell.
MEM free
top Show free memory on system
TASKLIST (WIN2K, XP) ps -aux List executable name, process ID number and memory usage of active
top processes
MSD lsdev Show system info (Command borrowed from AIX)
SCANDISK fsck
DEFRAG C: debugfs Check and repair hard drive file system
CHDISK du -s Disk usage.
FDISK fdisk Tool to partition a hard drive.
SUBST V: C:\directory\path mount Mount a drive letter to a folder/directory on your hard drive.
FORMAT mke2fs Format drive file system.

See: fdformat and mformat for floppies For floppy drive use see YoLinux Tutorial Using DOS Floppies with Linux
uname -a
echo $SHELL
VER cat /etc/issue Operating system/shell version
pkzip Compress and uncompress files/directories. Use tar to create
compilation of a directory before compressing. Linux also
tar and zip has compress, gzip
HOSTNAME hostname Print host name of computer
PING ping Send packets to a network host
TRACERT traceroute Show routes and router hops to given network destination.
IPCONFIG (NT)
WINIPCFG (Win 95...) ifconfig Display/configure network interface
NBTSTAT (Netbios info: -n, -c) nslookup host-name Print DNS info for host.
NBTSTAT -A IP-address host host-name
NBTSTAT -a hostname nmblookup -A hostname lookup NetBIOS names.
ROUTE PRINT route -n Print routing table.
NET HELP START chkconfig --list |grep on List services.
NET STARTservice-name service service-name start
NET STOPservice-name service service-name stop Start/stop service/daemon.
NET SHARES df Show mounted shares/filesystems.
NET SEND <node-name> smbclient -M MS-Windows-host-name Send pop-up to a MS/Windows PC
<message> (NT) talk Send message to another Unix/Linux user. See YoLinux tutorial
WIN startx Start X-Windows.
REBOOT shutdown -r now Reboot system.