unix and linux commands
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Brief overview of Unix andLinux commands
Below is a listing of each of the Unix and Linux
commands currently listed on Computer Hope
and a brief explanation of what each of the
commands do. This is a full listing which means
not all the below commands will work with your
distribution and may also not work because of
your privileges. Clicking on any of the
commands will display additional help and
information about that command.
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Command Description
a2p Creates a Perl script from anawk script.
ac Prints statistics about users'connect time.
alias Create a name for anothercommand or long commandstring.
ar Maintain portable archive orlibrary.
arch Display the architecture ofthe current host.
arp Manipulate the system ARPcache.
as An assembler.
at Command scheduler.
awk Awk script processingprogram.
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basename Deletes any specified prefixfrom a string.
bash Command Bourne interpreter
bc Calculator.
bdiff Compare large files.
bfs Editor for large files.
bg Continues a program runningin the background.
biff Enable and disable incomingmail notifications.
break Break out of while, for,foreach, or until loop.
bs Battleship game.
bye Alias often used for the exitcommand.
cal Calendar.
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calendar Display appointments andreminders.
cancel Cancels a print job.
cat View or modify a file.
cc C compiler.
cd Change directory.
chdir Change directory.
checkeq Language processors toassist in describingequations.
checknr Check nroff and troff files forany errors.
chfn Modify your own informationor if super user or rootmodify another usersinformation.
chgrp Change a groups access to afile or directory.
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chkey Change the secure RPC keypair.
chmod Change the permission of afile.
chown Change the ownership of afile.
chsh Change login shell.
cksum Display and calculate a CRCfor files.
clear Clears screen.
cls Alias often used to clear ascreen.
cmp Compare files.
col Reverse line-feeds filter.
comm Compare files and select orreject lines that arecommon.
compress Compress files on a
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computer.
continue Break out of while, for,foreach, or until loop.
copy Copy files.
cp Copy files.
cpio Creates archived CPIO files.
crontab Create and list files that youwish to run on a regularschedule.
csh Execute the C shell commandinterpreter
csplit Split files based on context.
ctags Create a tag file for use withex and vi.
cu Calls or connects to anotherUnix system, terminal ornon-Unix system.
curl Transfer a URL.
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cut Cut out selected fields ofeach line of a file.
date Tells you the date and timein Unix.
dc An arbitrary precisionarithmetic package.
dd Convert and copy a file.
df Display the available diskspace for each mount.
deroff Removes nroff/troff, tbl, andeqn constructs.
dhclient Dynamic Host ConfigurationProtocol Client.
diff Displays two files and printsthe lines that are different.
dig DNS lookup utility.
dircmp Lists the different files whencomparing directories.
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dirname Deliver portions of pathnames.
dmesg Print or control the kernelring buffer.
dos2unix Converts text files betweenDOS and Unix formats.
dpost Translates files created bytroff into PostScript.
du Tells you how much space afile occupies.
echo Displays text after echo tothe terminal.
ed Line oriented file editor.
edit Text editor.
egrep Search a file for a patternusing full regularexpressions.
elm Program command used to
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send and receive e-mail.
emacs Text editor.
enable Enables and disables LPprinters.
env Displays environmentvariables.
eqn Language processors toassist in describingequations.
ex Line-editor mode of the vitext editor.
exit Exit from a program, shell orlog you out of a Unixnetwork.
expand Expand copies of file s.
expr Evaluate arguments as anexpression.
fc The FC utility lists or editsand re-executes, commands
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and re-executes, commandspreviously entered to aninteractive sh.
fg Continues a stopped job byrunning it in the foreground
fgrep Search a file for a fixed-character string.
file Tells you if the object youare looking at is a file or if itis a directory.
find Finds one or more filesassuming that you knowtheir approximate filenames.
findsmb List info about machines thatrespond to SMB namequeries on a subnet.
finger Lists information about theuser.
fmt Simple text formatters.
fold Filter for folding lines.
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for Shell built-in functions torepeatedly execute action(s)for a selected number oftimes.
foreach Shell built-in functions torepeatedly execute action(s)for a selected number oftimes.
free Display amount of free andused memory in the system
fromdos Converts text files betweenDOS and Unix formats.
fsck Check and repair a Linux filesystem.
ftp Enables ftp access toanother terminal.
getfacl Display discretionary fileinformation.
gprof The gprof utility produces anexecution profile of a
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program.
grep Finds text within a file.
groupadd Creates a new groupaccount.
groupdel Enables a super user or rootto remove a group.
groupmod Enables a super user or rootto modify a group.
gunzip Expand compressed files.
gview A programmers text editor.
gvim A programmers text editor.
gzip Compress files.
halt Stop the computer.
hash Remove internal hash table.
hashstat Display the hash stats.
head Displays the first ten lines of
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a file, unless otherwisestated.
help If computer has online helpdocumentation installed thiscommand will display it.
history Display the history ofcommands typed.
host DNS lookup utility.
hostid Prints the numeric identifierfor the current host.
hostname Set or print name of currenthost system.
id Shows you the numeric userand group ID on BSD.
ifconfig Sets up network interfaces.
ifdown Take a network interfacedown.
ifup Bring a network interface up.
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info Read Info documents.
init Process control initialization.
ip Show and manipulaterouting, devices, policyrouting and tunnels.
isalist Display the native instructionsets executable on thisplatform.
jobs List the jobs currentlyrunning in the background.
join Joins command formstogether.
keylogin Decrypt the user's secretkey.
kill Cancels a job.
ksh Korn shell commandinterpreter.
ld Link-editor for object files.
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ldd List dynamic dependencies ofexecutable files or sharedobjects.
less Opposite of the morecommand.
lex Generate programs for lexicaltasks.
link Calls the link function tocreate a link to a file.
ln Creates a link to a file.
lo Allows you to exit from aprogram, shell or log you outof a Unix network.
locate List files in databases thatmatch a pattern.
login Signs into a new system.
logname Returns users login name.
logout Logs out of a system.
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lp Prints a file on System Vsystems.
lpadmin Configure the LP printservice.
lpc Line printer control program.
lpq Lists the status of all theavailable printers.
lpr Submits print requests.
lprm Removes print requests fromthe print queue.
lpstat Lists status of the LP printservices.
ls Lists the contents of adirectory.
mach Display the processor of thecurrent host.
mail One of the ways that allowsyou to read/send E-Mail.
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mailcompat Provide SunOS 4.xcompatibility for the Solarismailbox format.
mailx Mail interactive messageprocessing system.
make Executes a list of shellcommands associated witheach target.
man Display a manual of acommand.
mesg Control if non-root users cansend text messages to you.
mii-tool View, manipulate media-independent interfacestatus.
mkdir Create a directory.
mkfs Build a Linux file system,usually a hard disk partition.
more Displays text one screen at a
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time.
mount Creates a file systems andremote resources.
mt Magnetic tape control.
mv Renames a file or moves itfrom one directory to anotherdirectory.
nc TCP/IP swiss army knife.
neqn Language processors toassist in describingequations.
netstat Shows network status.
newalias Install new elm aliases foruser or system.
newform Change the format of a textfile.
newgrp Log into a new group.
nice Invokes a command with an
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altered scheduling priority.
niscat Display NIS+ tables andobjects.
nischmod Change access rights on aNIS+ object.
nischown Change the owner of a NIS+object.
nischttl Change the time to livevalue of a NIS+ object.
nisdefaults Display NIS+ default values.
nisgrep Utilities for searching NIS+tables.
nismatch Utilities for searching NIS+tables.
nispasswd Change NIS+ passwordinformation.
nistbladm NIS+ table administrationcommand.
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nmap Network exploration tool andsecurity port scanner.
nohup Runs a command even if thesession is disconnected orthe user logs out.
nroff Formats documents fordisplay or line-printer.
nslookup Queries a name server for ahost or domain lookup.
on Execute a command on aremote system, but with thelocal environment.
onintr Shell built-in functions torespond to (hardware)signals.
optisa Determine which variantinstruction set is optimal touse.
pack Shrinks file into acompressed file.
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pagesize Display the size of a page ofmemory in bytes, as returnedby getpagesize.
passwd Allows you to change yourpassword.
paste Merge corresponding orsubsequent lines of files.
pax Read/write and writes listsof the members of archivefiles and copy directoryhierarchies.
pcat Compresses file.
perl Perl is a programminglanguage optimized forscanning arbitrary text files,extracting information fromthose text files.
pg Files perusal filters for CRTs.
pgrep Examine the activeprocesses on the system and
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reports the process IDs ofthe processes
pico Simple and very easy to usetext editor in the style of thePine Composer.
pine Command line program forInternet News and Email.
ping Sends ICMP ECHO_REQUESTpackets to network hosts.
pkill Examine the activeprocesses on the system andreports the process IDs ofthe processes
poweroff Stop the computer.
pr Formats a file to make itlook better when printed.
priocntl Display's or set schedulingparameters of specifiedprocess(es)
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printf Write formatted output.
ps Reports the process status.
pvs Display the internal versioninformation of dynamicobjects within an ELF file.
pwd Print the current workingdirectory.
quit Allows you to exit from aprogram, shell or log you outof a Unix network.
rcp Copies files from onecomputer to anothercomputer.
reboot Stop the computer.
red Line oriented file editor.
rehash Recomputes the internalhash table of the contents ofdirectories listed in the path.
remsh Runs a command on another
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remsh Runs a command on anothercomputer.
repeat Shell built-in functions torepeatedly execute action(s)for a selected number oftimes.
replace A string-replacement utility.
rgview A programmers text editor.
rgvim A programmers text editor.
rlogin Establish a remoteconnection from yourterminal to a remotemachine.
rm Deletes a file withoutconfirmation (by default).
rmail One of the ways that allowsyou to read/send E-Mail.
rmdir Deletes a directory.
rn Reads newsgroups.
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route Show and manipulate the IProuting table.
rpcinfo Report RPC information.
rsh Runs a command on anothercomputer.
rsync Faster, flexible replacementfor rcp.
rview A programmers text editor.
rvim A programmers text editor.
s2p Convert a sed script into aPerl script.
sag Graphically displays thesystem activity data storedin a binary data file by aprevious sar run.
sar Displays the activity for theCPU.
screen Screen manager withVT100/ANSI terminal
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VT100/ANSI terminalemulation.
script Records everything printedon your screen.
sdiff Compares two files, side-by-side.
sed Allows you to use pre-recorded commands to makechanges to text.
sendmail Sends mail over the Internet.
set Set the value of anenvironment variable.
setenv Set the value of anenvironment variable.
setfacl Modify the Access ControlList (ACL) for a file or files.
settime Change file access andmodification time.
sftp Secure file transfer program.
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sh Runs or processes jobsthrough the Bourne shell.
shred Delete a file securely, firstoverwriting it to hide itscontents.
shutdown Turn off the computerimmediately or at a specifiedtime.
sleep Waits a x amount ofseconds.
slogin OpenSSH SSH client (remotelogin program).
smbclient An ftp-like client to accessSMB/CIFS resources onservers.
sort Sorts the lines in a text file.
spell Looks through a text file andreports any words that itfinds in the text file that arenot in the dictionary.
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split Split a file into pieces.
stat Display file or filesystemstatus.
stop Control process execution.
strip Discard symbols from objectfiles.
stty Sets options for yourterminal.
su Become super user oranother user.
sysinfo Get and set systeminformation strings.
sysklogd Linux system loggingutilities.
tabs Set tabs on a terminal.
tail Delivers the last part of thefile.
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talk Talk with other logged inusers.
tac Concatenate and print filesin reverse.
tar Create tape archives and addor extract files.
tbl Preprocessor for formattingtables for nroff or troff.
tcopy Copy a magnetic tape.
tcpdump Dump traffic on a network.
tee Read from an input and writeto a standard output or file.
telinit Process control initialization.
telnet Uses the telnet protocol toconnect to another remotecomputer.
test Check file types and comparevalues.
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time Used to time a simplecommand.
timex The timex command times acommand; reports processdata and system activity.
todos Converts text files betweenDOS and Unix formats.
top Display Linux tasks.
touch Change file access andmodification time.
tput Initialize a terminal or queryterminfo database.
tr Translate characters.
traceroute Print the route packets taketo network host.
troff Typeset or formatdocuments.
tty Print the file name of theterminal connected to
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terminal connected tostandard input.
ul Reads the named filenamesor terminal and doesunderlining.
umask Get or set the file modecreation mask.
unalias Remove an alias.
unhash Remove internal hash table.
uname Print name of currentsystem.
uncompress Uncompressed compressedfiles.
uniq Report or filter out repeatedlines in a file.
unlink Call the unlink function toremove the specified file.
unmount Disconnects a file systemsand remote resources.
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unpack Expands a compressed file.
untar Create tape archives and addor extract files.
until Execute a set of actionswhile/until conditions areevaluated TRUE.
unzip List, test and extractcompressed files in a ZIParchive.
useradd Create a new user orupdates default new userinformation.
userdel Remove a users account.
usermod Modify a users account.
vacation Reply to mail automatically.
vedit Screen-oriented (visual)display editor based on ex.
vgrind Grind nice program listings
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vi Screen-oriented (visual)display editor based on ex.
vim A programmers text editor.
view A programmers text editor.
w Show who is logged on andwhat they are doing.
wait Await process completion.
wc Displays a count of lines,words, and characters in afile
whereis Locate a binary, source, andmanual page files for acommand.
while Repetitively execute a set ofactions while/until conditionsare evaluated TRUE.
which Locate a command.
who Displays who is on thesystem.
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system.
whoami Print effective userid.
whois Internet user name directoryservice.
write Send a message to anotheruser.
X Execute the X windowssystem.
xfd Display all the characters inan X font.
xlsfonts Server font list displayer forX.
xset User preference utility for X.
xterm Terminal emulator for X.
xrdb X server resource databaseutility.
yacc Short for yet anothercompiler-compiler, yacc is acompiler.
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yes Repeatedly output a linewith all specified STRING(s),or 'y'.
yppasswd Changes network passwordin the NIS database.
zcat Compress files.
zip Compression and filepackaging utility.
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