UNIX Quick Reference Sheet

2.4 Comparing Files

1 Log In Session diff file1 file2 line by comparison
cmp file1 file2 byte by byte comparison
1.1 Log In
Enter username at login: prompt.
Enter password at password: prompt.
2.5 Changing Access Modes
chmod mode file1 file2 ...
1.2 Change Password chmod -R mode dir (changes all files in dir )
passwd Mode Settings

1.3 Log Out u user (owner)

g group
logout or exit o other

+ add permission
2 File System - remove permission

2.1 Create a File r read

w write
cat > file Enter text and end with ctrl-D x execute
vi file Edit file using the vi editor Example: chmod go-rwx foo.c removes read, write, and execute permissions
emacs file Emacs fullscreen editor for group and other on foo.c.

2.2 Make a Directory 2.6 List Files and Directories

mkdir directory-name
ls list contents of directory
ls -A include files with "." (dot files)
2.3 Display File Contents ls -l list contents in long format (show modes)
|more The pipe symbol (|), located above the
cat file display contents of file backward slash (\) key, and the word more can
more file display contents and on screenfulls be used after Unix listing commands (such as
head file Output beginning of file ls or cat filename) to display information
head -# file displays the specified number of lines one screen at a time (ls |more or cat
from the top of the file. filename |more). Press Enter or the Spacebar
tail file Output end of file to scroll forward.
tail file -# displays the specified number of lines
from the end of the file.
 UNIX Quick Reference Sheet

2.7 Move (or Rename) Files and Directories absolute: List of directory names from root directory to desired file or
mv src-file dest-file rename src-file to dest-file
directory name, each separated by /. Example: /src/shared
mv src-file dest-dir move a file into a directory
mv src-dir dest-dir rename src-dir, or move to dest- relative: List of directory names from working directory to desired file
dir or directory name, each separated by /. Example: Mail/inbox/23
mv -i src dest copy & prompt before overwriting

2.8 Copy Files 2.14 Directory Abbreviations

~ Your home (login) directory
cp src-file dest-file copy src-file to dest-file
~username Another user's home directory
cp src-file dest-dir copy a file into a directory . Working (current) directory
cp -R src-dir dest-dir copy one directory into another .. Parent of working directory
cp -i src dest copy & prompt before overwriting ../.. Parent of parent directory
2.9 Remove File
rm file remove (delete) a file 3.0 Commands
rmdir dir remove an empty directory
rm -r dir remove a directory and its contents
rm -i file remove file, but prompt before deleting
3.1 Date
date display date and time
2.10 Compressing files cal displays the current month
compress file encode file, replacing it with
file.Z
3.2 Wild Cards
zcat file.Z display compressed file ? single character wild card
uncompress file.Z decode file.Z, replacing it with * Arbitrary number of characters
file

2.11 Change Working Directory 3.3 Printing (lp & lpr cmds)
cd return to your login (home) directory lpr file print file on default printer
cd dir change to directory dir lpr -Pprinter file print file on printer
lpr -c# file print # copies of file
2.12 Find Name of Current Directory lpr -d file interpret file as a dvi file
pwd display absolute path of working directory lpq show print queue (-Pprinter also valid)
lprm -# remove print request # (listed with lpq)
2.13 Pathnames
simple: One filename or directory name for accessing local file or
directory. Example: foo.c
 UNIX Quick Reference Sheet

5 Information on Users
3.4 Redirection finger user or
finger user@machine get information on a user
command > file direct output of command to file finger @machine list users on machine
instead of standard output(screen), who list current users
replacing current contents of file chfn Change finger information
command > > file as above, except output is appendedto
the current contents of file
command < file command receives input from file instead
of standard input (keyboard) 6 Timesavers
cmd1 | cmd2 "pipe" output of cmd1 to input of cmd2
script file log everything displayed on the
terminal to file; end with exit
6.1 Aliases
alias string command abbreviate command to string
3.5 Talk
mesg n sets your account to reject talk
requests
6.2 History: Command Repetition
mesg y sets your account to accept a talk requests Commands may be recalled
(default) History show command history
talk userID initiates a talk request with !num repeat command with history number num
someone who has an account on !str repeat last command beginning with string
the same system str
talk userID@system-name initiates a talk request with !! repeat entire last command line
someone who has an account on a !$ repeat last word of last command line
different system

write userID initiates a write request with 6.3 Help

someone who has an account on man command displays information from the online Unix reference manual about
the same system a specific command
man -k keyword displays the commands relevant to a keyword
4 Search Files
grep string filelist show lines containing string in
any file in filelist
grep -v string filelist show lines not containing string
grep -i string filelist show lines containing string,
ignore case
 UNIX Quick Reference Sheet

7.0 Process and Job Control 7.6 Kill a Process or Job

ctrl-C kill foreground process
7.1 Important Terms kill -KILL pid#
kill -KILL %job-id#
pid Process IDentification number.

job-id Job identification number.

7.2 Display Process and/or Job Ids 8.0 Compiler

cc [-o f1] f2 C compiler
ps report processes and pid numbers lint f Check C code for errors
ps gx as above, but include "hidden" processes f77 [-o f1] f2 Fortran77 compiler
jobs report current jobs and job id numbers pc [-o f1] f2 Pascal compiler
ctrl-S Stop screen scrolling lisp Lisp compiler
Ctrl-Q Resume screen output
sleep n Sleep for n seconds

7.3 Stop (Suspend) a Job

ctrl-Z NOTE:process still exists!
stop %n Suspend background job n

7.4 Run a Job in the Background

Start job in background: Add & to end of command. Example: xdvi
unixintro.dvi &
Force a running job into the background:
ctrl-Z stop the job
bg "push" the job into the background
cmmd& Run cmmd in background

7.5 Bring a Job to the Foreground

fg bring a job to foreground
fg %job-id foreground by job-id