| Topic |
If You want To
|
Type This Command
|
| DIRECTORIES |
find out which directory are you currently in? |
pwd |
| move from the current directory to the system root directory |
cd / |
| move to a different directory |
cd directory_name |
| make a sub-directory in your current directory |
mkdir new_directory_name |
| remove an empty sub-directory from the current directory |
rmdir directory_name |
| remove a directory, all sub-directories and all the files contained within them (USE WITH CAUTION !) |
rm -r directory_name |
| move up one directory level |
cd .. |
| move up two directory levels |
cd ../.. |
| move to an adjacent directory |
cd ../directory_name |
| return to your login (or home) directory |
cd $home |
| FILES |
delete a file |
rm filename
in response to filename? type y |
| list files contained in your home directory |
ls |
| list all files, including hidden ones (such as a .forward or a .signature file) |
ls -a |
| list the contents of a text file (one page at a time) |
more filename (text will only display one screen at a time, press the spacebar to see the next page) |
| list the contents of a text file (without control over screen scrolling) |
cat filename |
| list details of a file including permissions |
ls -l (file permissions [d = directory, r = read, w = write, x = executable], links present for a directory, logonid, size, date, time/year, filename) |
| list details of a file (as above) plus any hidden files |
ls -la |
| rename a file |
mv oldfile newfile |
| move a file |
mv file.ext subdir/file.ext |
| locate a file of your own, display its path or alias |
which filename (shows an alias if applicable or the location of the file if it is located in a directory found in the current path) [first found instance of filename] |
| locate a file (system or your own), and display its path |
find path -name file -print (searches for all instances of the file as named, starting at the location specified in path, working its way down the directories until all the subdirectories have been searched) |
| locate a file on the path from the current directory, and display its location |
whereis filename (searches for filename, a system executable file, beginning in the current directory and its subdirectories) |
| HELP |
use the on-line help manual |
man command (eg: man ls displays pages for the list command) |
| on using the online help manual |
man man |
| displays commands containing a keyword |
man -k keyword (eg: man -k quota displays all commands with the keyword QUOTA) |
| LOCATING A PERSON'S LOGIN ID |
a system id for a particular person(s) with a common name |
whois surname |
| a system id for a particular person |
finger surname |
| list all people currently logged in |
finger |
