Lecture 3

File system & Essential Shell Commands

CoSc2043 – Network and System Administration

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Topics

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A Quick Start
Terminal
PuTTy, a telnet/ssh client
 a free and open source terminal
emulator application
 a window in your desktop that works like
old time terminal
Enter your ID and password

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Your first encounter: shell
• Shell: a special-purpose program,
command line interpreter, read commands
typed by a user and execute programs in
response to entered commands
• Many different shells:
• Bourne Shell (sh): oldest,
• I/O redirection, pipelines, filename generation (globbing), variables,
environment variables, command substitution, background command
execution, function
• C Shell (csh): syntax of flow-control similar to C, command
history, command-line editing, job control, aliases
• Korn Shell (ksh): “csh”, compatible with sh
• Bourne again Shell (bash): GNU’s reimplementation of
Bourne shell, supports features added in C shell, and Korn
shell

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Check/Change Login Shell
To check the shell you are using
 echo $SHELL
 echo $0
login shell: default shell for a user,
specified in /etc/passwd
To change your login shell, use
command
 chsh
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Shell: interactive mode
• A shell session (a dialog between user and
shell)
1. Displays a prompt character, and waits for user to type in a
command line
 Prompt depends on shell: sh, ksh, bash: $ csh: % tcsh: >
 May be customized (with current directory, host, ...)
2. On input of a command line, shell extracts command name
and arguments, searches for the program, and runs it.
3. When program finishes, shell continues to step 1
4. The loop continues until user types “exit” or “ctrl-d” to
end

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UNIX command line
• Command name and arguments:
command [ [ - ] option (s) ] [ option argument (s) ] [ command argument (s) ]

– Command arguments are mostly file or directory

names
• cp prog1.cpp prog1.cpp.bak
– Options: used to control behavior of the command
• head -20 lab1.cpp
• wc –w lab2.cpp // count how many words
• Some options come with option argument
– sort –k 1 data.txt
– // use the first column of data.txt as the key to sort

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The most important
command !!!

man ls

• man: displaying online manuals

– Press q to quit, space to scroll down, arrow keys
to roll up/down 8
Correcting type mistakes
• Shell starts to parse command line only
when Enter key is pressed
• Delete the whole line (line-kill): C-u
• Erase a character: C-h or backspace key
• Many more fancy functionalities:
– Auto-completion: press Tab key to ask shell
to auto-complete command, or path name
– History (repeat command): use arrow (up
and down) keys to navigate past commands
– …

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Shell: batch/scripting
mode
In batch mode, shell can interpret and execute
shell scripts
#!/bin/bash
# count number of files/directories in curr. directory
ls –l | wc –l
Shell constructs:
 variables,
 Loop and conditional statements
 I/O commands (read from keyboard, write to terminal)
 Function, arrays …

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Unix File
Files: store information
 a sequence of 0 or more bytes containing
arbitrary information
What's in a filename?
 Case matters, no longer limited to 14 chars
 Special characters such as -, spaces are allowed,
but you shouldn’t use them in filename
 Can you think of the reason ?
 Dot files are hidden, i.e., normally not listed by
command ls
 To display all files, including hidden files, use ls -a

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What’s in a file ?
So far, we learnt that files are organized in a
hierarchical directory structure
 Each file has a name, resides under a directory, is
associated with some admin info (permission, owner)
Contents of file:
 Text (ASCII) file (such as your C/C++ source code)
 Executable file (commands)
 A link to other files, …
 Virtual file:
 /proc: a pseudo-filesystem, contains user-accessible
objects on runtime state of kernel and executing processes
To check the type of file: “file <filename>”
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File Viewing Commands
• cat: concatenate files and display on standard output (i.e.,
the terminal window)
– cat [option] … [file] …
[ ] means the argument is optional
– cat proj1.cpp … means there can be multiple
– cat proj1.cpp proj2.cpp arguments of this type

– cat –n proj1.cpp // display the file with line #

• More: file perusal filter (i.e., displaying file one screen at a
time)
– more proj1.cpp
• head, tail: display the beginning or ending lines of a file
– tail -f output // display the file, append more lines as
the file grows

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File manipulation
commands
• rm: remove one or multiple files or directories
– rm [option] … FILE …
– rm temp
– rm temp1 temp2
• Wildcards (metacharacter) can be used in command line
– Letter * matches with any string
• rm *.o: remove all .o files
– ?: match any one character
– [abc]: match with letter a or b or c
• rm –r: remove directories and their sub-dirs recursively
• rm –i : confirm with user before removing files

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File manipulation commands
(2)
cp: copy file or directory
 cp [OPTION] SOURCE DESTINATION
To make a backup copy of your program
before dramatic change
 cp proj1.cpp proj1.cpp.bak
To make a backup copy of a whole
directory
 cp –r lab1_dir lab1_dir_backup
 -R, -r, --recursive: copy directories recursively

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File manipulation commands
(3)
mv: move (rename)
files/directories
 mv [OPTION] SOURCE DEST
 Rename SOURCE to DEST
 mv proj1.cpp lab1.cpp
 mv [OPTION]… SOURCE… DIRECTORY
 Move SOURCE to DIRECTORY
 mv lab1.cpp lab2.cpp CISC3130

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Hierarchical file system
• Directory: a file that can hold other files
Advantages of hierarchical file system:
• Files can have same names, as long as they are under

different directories
• Easier for protection
/ (root)
• Organized files

dev bin home etc lib

cdro tty24 staff group passwd

m
zhang
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Absolute pathname, path
/ (root)

dev bin home etc lib

cdromtty24 staff passwd

zhang
 Pathname of a file/directory: location of file/directory in the file
system
 How do you tell other where your prog. Is located ?
 Absolute pathname: path name specified relative to root, i.e.,
starting with the root (/)
 e.g., /home/staff/zhang
 What’s the absolute pathname for the “passwd” file?
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Home directory
Every user has a home directory
created for him/her
 When you log in, you are in your home
directory
 In home directory, a user usually has
permission to create files/directories,
remove files ..
 ~ to refer to current user’s home directory
 ~username to refer to username’s home
directory

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Current directory & Relative
Pathname

Tiring to specify absolute pathname

each time
To make life easier: working directory
 User can move around the file system,
shell remembers where the user is (i.e.,
current directory)
To check your current directory, use
command:
 pwd

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Getting around in the file
system
• To create a subdirectory:
– mkdir [option]… directory…
– cd
– mkdir CISC3130
– cd CISC3130
– mkdir lab1
• To remove a directory:
– rmdir [option]… directory…
– Report failure if directory is not empty
• Can use rm –rf to remove non-empty directory

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Command for change current
directory (move around)
 cd [directory]
[zhang@storm Work]$ cd
[zhang@storm ~]$ pwd
/home/staff/zhang
[zhang@storm ~]$ cd Work
[zhang@storm Work]$ pwd
/home/staff/zhang/Work
[zhang@storm Work]$ cd ..
[zhang@storm ~]$ pwd
/home/staff/zhang
[zhang@storm ~]$

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 Relative pathname
Absolute pathname: specified relative to root
Relative pathname: specified relative to current
directory
 (current directory), .. (parent directory, one
level up)
 If current directory is at /home/staff/zhang,
what is the relative pathname of the file
passwd?
/ (root)
 ../../../etc/passwd: go one level up, go one level
up, go one level up, go to etc, passwd is there
dev bi home etc lib
n
cdro tty24 staff passwd
m 23
zhang
Relative pathname
For all commands that take
file/directory name as arguments, you
can use pathnames of the file/directory
Example:
 cd /home/staff/zhang/public_html
 pico CISC3130/index.html
 cd .. (go up one level to parent directory)
 cp ../prog2.cpp prog2.cpp

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Getting around in the file
system
ls: list directory contents
 ls [OPTION] … [FILE]
ls: list files/directories under current directory
ls –l: long listing,
[zhang@storm CISC1600]$ ls -l
total 59180
-rw-r--r-- 1 zhang staff 509952 Sep 7 13:02 3_types.ppt
-rw-r--r-- 1 zhang staff 593408 Sep 14 23:38 4_computation.ppt
-rw-r--r-- 1 zhang staff 1297 Sep 2 12:18 account.html
-rw-r--r-- 1 zhang staff 3304448 Nov 7 18:24 ArrayVector1.ppt
drwxr-xr-x 2 zhang staff 4096 Dec 8 22:36 Codes

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 Long listing
To get more information about each
file Total disc space taken in blocks
[zhang@storm Demo]$ ls -al (1024 Byte)
total 32
drwxr-xr-x 5 zhang staff 4096 2008-01-16 16:01 .
drwxr-xr-x 41 zhang staff 4096 2008-01-16 16:01 ..
drwxr-xr-x 2 zhang staff 4096 2008-01-16 15:55 CCodes
-rw-r--r-- 1 zhang staff 38 2008-01-16 16:01 .HiddenFile
-rw-r--r-- 1 zhang staff 53 2008-01-16 15:57 README
drwxr-xr-x 2 zhang staff 4096 2008-01-16 15:55 SampleCodes
drwxr-xr-x 4 zhang staff 4096 2008-01-16 15:56
ShellScriptesUser name of the owner and its group
d means
Who has permission to read/write the file
directory 26
Long listing explained
drwxr-xr-x 4 zhang staff 4096 2008-01-16 15:56
ShellScriptes
field 1
 1st Character: specifies the type of the file.
 - normal file, d directory, s socket file, l link file
 next 9 characters – File Permissions
field 2: specifies the number of links for
that file
field 3 : specifies owner of the file
field 4: specifies the group of the file
field 5 : specifies the size of file.
field 6: date and time of last modification of the
file
field 7: File name 27
File permissions
drwxr-xr-x 4 zhang staff 4096 2008-01-16 15:56 ShellScriptes
Each file is associated with permission info.
 Differentiate three type of users: owner user, users
from same group as owner, others
 Three type of access: - in the field means no permission
 Read (r): use “cat” to open a file to read, use “ls” to list
files/directories under a directory
 Write (w): modify the contents of the file, create/remove
files from the directory
 Execute (x): execute the file, or “cd” or “search” the
directory for file
Trying to list other’s directory
[zhang@storm ~]$ ls ../roche/
ls: cannot open directory ../roche/: Permission denied
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User and Group
Each user has unique login name (user name),
and corresponding numeric ID
 Group id, home directory, login shell:
 Stored in file /etc/passwd
Groups: each user can belong to multiple groups
 For collaboration …
 Group name, group id, user list info stored in /etc/group
Superuser
 ID: 0, username: root
 Bypass all permission checks …

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More to play with
who: show who is logged on
 who am I
write: write to another user’s terminal (IMS?)
which: show the full path name of a command
$ which bash
/bin/bash
How does shell find a command ?
 Environment variable PATH stores a list of paths to search
for programs: “set | grep PATH” or “echo $PATH”, “set” to
show all variable settings
 PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin:.
 Built-in commands: history, set, echo, etc.
mail: send email from command line
 mail –s “graded project” zhang < proj1.cpp

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Summary
Unix, a time-sharing operating system
Operating system
 a program that sits between hardware and user
 Manages resources (CPU, memory, disk,
network connection) and present user interface
to user
Unix programming environment, i.e.,
platform
 the layered view

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Summary (cont’d)
• PuTTy emulates a terminal
• Shell: a command line interface
– Engage in dialog (a session with user)
• What’s in a command
– Name, and arguments
• Hierarchical file system: file and
directory
• Commands for working with file system

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References
1. Daniel P. Bovet and Marco Cesati, Understanding the Linux Kernel,
3rd edition, O’Reilly, 2005.
2. Robert Love, Linux Kernel Development, 2nd edition, Prentice-Hall,
2005.
3. Kwan Lowe, Kernel Rebuild Guide,
http://www.digitalhermit.com/linux/Kernel-Build-HOWTO.html, 2004.
4. LWN, “Another Look at the New Development Model,”
http://lwn.net/Articles/94605/, 2004.
5. Joseph Pranovitch, Wonderful World of Linux 2.2,
http://kniggit.net/wwol22.html, 1999.
6. Joseph Pranovitch, Wonderful World of Linux 2.4,
http://kniggit.net/wwol24.html, 2001.
7. Joseph Pranovitch, Wonderful World of Linux 2.6,
http://kniggit.net/wwol24.html, 2003.
8. Claudia Rodriguez et al, The Linux Kernel Primer, Prentice-Hall,
2005.
9. Andrew S. Tanenbaum, Modern Operating Systems, 2nd edition,
Prentice-Hall, 2001.
10. Linus Torvalds and David Diamond, Just For Fun: The Story of an
Accidental Revolutionary, Collins, 2001.
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