Unix (USS)

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Command Index

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. Shortcut for current directory path
usage: . as source or destination path
options: none
example: cp ./temp.txt ../temp.txt copies temp.txt from the current directory.
example: ls ./  --lists all files in the current directory

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.. Shortcut for parent of current working directory path
usage: .. as source or destination path
options: none
example: cp ../temp.txt ./temp.txt--copies temp.txt from the parent directory.
example: ls ../  --lists all files in the parent directory
example: cd ..  --move one directory node up

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- Symbolizes stdin
usage: - when used as input path, specifies that input will come from stdin which is the keyboard
options: none
example: cat - > newfile--whatever you enter from keyboard will be used as input to create the new file newfile
example: gunzip -c file.tgz | tar xf -  --unzip file.tgz to stdout and send it to stdin of tar

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~ (tilde): Shortcut for your home path
usage: ~
options: none
example: cd ~  --change from current directory back to your home

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> Redirect stdout to a file
usage: > to destination path (file)
options: none
example: man cat > manfiles--route manpage output for cat to a file called manfiles

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>> Append redirected stdout to a file
usage: >> append output to an existing file
options: none
example: man lpr >> manfiles--append manpage output for lpr to the existing file called manfiles

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& Place a job in background
usage: & run specified job in background
options: none
example: cc fix32 &  --run the C compiler in background

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| (pipe) Route output of command to the left of it to input of the command to the right of it
usage: | followed by a second process
options: none
example: $who | wc -l--count the number of users on the system
example: ls | more--list files in current directory and display them one page at a time ("pipe stdout to more)

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awk: Pattern scanning and processing language
usage: awk [options][file]
options: -f progfile read scan patterns from the file progfile
example: awk '{print $1 + $2}' file1--prints sum of first 2 fields of each line in file1

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c: OS/390 c89, cc and c++ compiler
usage: See c89 manpage.

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cal: Calendar
usage: cal [[month] year]- displays the calendar for the current month
options: none
example: cal 1 2001--displays the January calendar for 2001

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cat: Concatenate or display files
usage: cat [options][files]
options: -n number all lines | -b number all non-blank lines | -v output non-printing characters
example: cat -n temp.txt--outputs temp.txt and numbers all lines
example: cat -b temp.txt--outputs temp.txt and numbers all used lines
example: cat file1--displays file1
example: cat file1 file2 > file3--creates file3 containing file1, then file2

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cd: Change Directory
usage: cd [directory]
options: none
example: cd public_html--sets public_html as current working directory
example: cd--change working directory to your home directory

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chmod: Change access mode (permissions) of a file or directory
usage: chmod [options][files]
options: -f suppress error reporting | -R changes permission recursively--to all subdirectories
example: chmod 777 -R public_html--changes permissions of everything in public_html to read write and execute for everyone
example: chmod -777 temp--removes all permissions of file temp
example: chmod a+x temp--gives All users of file temp execute access
example: chmod go-r temp--removes read access for Group and Others users of file temp

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cmp: Compares two files
usage: cmp [options][file1][file2]
options: -l print byte number and difference | -s silent except for return code
example: cmp a.out old-prog.out--compares 2 executables
example: cmp -s a.out old-prog.out--compares 2 executables but only output return codes
example: cmp stat.txt proj-132.txt--compares 2 text files and display the differences

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col: Filter out reverse-linefeeds from stdin
usage: col [options]
options: -b remove backspaces
example: man awk | col -b | enscript -P3hole -U2--takes manpage for awk, removes backspace directives and prints the manpage with enscript 2-up on 3-hole paper

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compress / uncompress: Compress file using Lempel-Ziv; uncompress file; output placed in file.Z
usage: compress/uncompress [options][file1][file2]
options: -c write to stdout instead of file | -f force compression/decompression
example: compress book.pdf

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cp: Copy a file, creating a new file
usage: cp [file1] [file2]
options: -r recursive, copy directory | -i interactive, prompts user to overwrite.
example: cp temp1.txt temp2.txt--copies temp1.txt to new file temp2.txt
example: cp -i temp2.txt temp1.txt--asks if you are sure you want to copy over temp1.txt
See also scp about cross-machine copies.

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date: Displays date and time
usage: date - displays the date according to the system clock; returns day, date, time
options: -u display Greenwich Mean (universal) Time date

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dbx: Debugger for C, C++ and Fortran
usage: dbx [options][executable, core-file, or process-ID]
options: see manpage

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diff: Compares files or whole directories
usage: diff [options] [file1 or dir1] [file2 or dir2]
options: -b ignore trailing blanks | -w ignore whitespace | -i ignore case of letters | -l long format, files summarized | -r recursively compare subdirectories
example: diff -l ../printing ../archive--summarize differences between these two directories

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du: Disk Usage summary by file or directory structure
usage: du [options][files]
options: -a make an entry for each file | -s display grand total only
example: du -s--prints summary for current directory

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file: Tries to determine the type of file
usage: file [file]
option: -h don't follow symbolic link

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find: Find files that match certain criteria
usage: find [criteria] [options] [files]
options: see "info find"
example: find $HOME -name '#*'--find all files with names beginning with pound sign

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ftp: Secure file transfer
See examples of FTP JCL and interactive FTP.

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grep: Search for a pattern in file or files
usage: grep
options: -b precede each line by the line number | -c count number of times found | -i ignore case of letters | -l print only names of files with line#s | -n print line# with line of text | -x match full lines
example: grep -c alias .cshrc--counts the number of aliases in .cshrc
example: grep -b alias .cshrc--shows where the aliases are in .cshrc
example: grep -l main *--print names of files in current directory containing main

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head: Display file to up to point specified
usage: head [end line] [file]
option: -n the first n lines will be displayed on stdout
example: head -3 .cshrc--displays first 3 lines of .cshrc

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kill: Terminate a process
usage: kill [options][process-id]
options: -9 to terminate; using "0" for the PID kills all your processes
example: kill -9 0--sends kill signal to processes started since login

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lp: Print text or PostScript output to printer; see Printing Webpage for more options and examples
options: -Pqueue; see manpage also
example: lp chap1.pdf--prints PDF file on default print queue

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lpstat: Gives status of print jobs generated via the lp command
usage: lpstat [options]
options: see manpage
example: lpstat -pnohole--gives printer status of nohole print queue

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ls: Displays information about a directory (including descendants) or files; wildcards supported
usage: ls [options] [names]--names may be file or directory
options: -a lists all entries, including .files (hidden) | -F labels directories(/), binaries(*), links(@) | -l give detailed info on each entry | -R recursively print subdirectories | -t display contents of directory sorted by time-modifi ed | -s display size in KB
example: ls -la ~/  --gives detailed info on all hidden and regular descendants of your home directory
example: ls -F ~/  --flags descendants as subdirectories, executables, links

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mail: Send or receive email; reads mail on local machine only; cannot do IMAP
usage: mail [options] [users]
options: see manpage

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man: Display "manual" info on a command; there are multiple levels or "sections" of commands--C, Fortran, and their commands, in general, come from the section "(3C++)" but system commands come from section "(1)"; s ee "printenv MANPATH" for the paths searched for manpages
usage: man [options] [command]
options: -k word shows names of all manpages that contain word | -a shows all manpages for this command from all sections | -M manpath shows the manpage from this specific path | -s section# shows the manpage from this specific section
example: man a2ps | lpr--prints the a2ps manpage on the default printer (duplex, nohole)
example: man -s 1 sort--displays info on sort from "section 1" (the Unix system's path) instead of "section 3C++" (the C++ path) which is the default for this command
example: man -M /usr/share/man sort--displays info on sort from this explicit path (which overrides the default and effectively does the same as the previous command)
example: man -a sort--displays info on sort from both section "3C++" and from "section 1" (the Unix system's path)
example: man man--gives the manpage on man for complete information on its use (there's only a single level--no C++ version--of this command)

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mkdir: Make directory
usage: mkdir [dir] - makes directory with name dir
options: -m allows you to set properties to the directory | -p allows you to create more then one directory at a time
example: mkdir -p ~/first_dir/new_dir--creates new_dir inside of a new directory first_dir
example: mkdir new_dir--makes new_dir inside the current directory

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more / less / pg: Display file
usage: more [file] - displays the contents of a file in ASCII; use spacebar to advance by page, Enter to advance by line
options: -c clear before displaying | -d display error messages | "h" gives help | "b" back
example: more -c temp.txt--clears display then prints contents of file temp.txt

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mv: Move file under a directory structure or to new file name; original (source) file will be gone
usage: mv [file] [dir]--moves file under existing directory dir
options: -f force copy over any existing file by that name | -i prompts user to copy over files
example: mv temp.txt dir/  --moves temp.txt into directory dir/
example: mv -f temp.txt dir/  --moves temp.txt into directory dir/ erasing old temp.txt if it exists
example: mv -i temp.txt dir/  --moves temp.txt into directory dir/ but asking before overwriting old temp.txt if it exists

usage: mv [file1] [file2]--moves file1 to file2
example: mv temp.txt temp2.txt--renames temp.txt to temp2.txt
example: mv -f temp.txt temp2.txt--renames temp.txt erasing old temp2.txt if it exists

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nice: Run a command with modified priority
usage: nice -n[value] [command]
options: -nn--sets priority to n--value may range from 1 to 19 with 1 being highest priority and 10 the default
example: nice -n 1 mysort--run the mysort program at the highest priority

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oedit: Full-screen editor (not GUI) available with OMVS that looks and acts just like the ISPF editor.
usage: oedit [file]

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pack / unpack: Compress/expand a file
usage: pack / unpack [options][file]--file may be an entire directory; produces output called file.z (versus ".Z" with compress); use unpack to expand file(s)
options: -f force packing even if some files in directory would not benefit
example: pack pdf.files/--pack the contents of the subdirectory, replacing each file with its compressed ".z" equivalent

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passwd: Change password
usage: passwd - brings up dialogue that allows you to change your password
options: see manpage

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ping: Sends packets to a network host
usage: ping [host] [timeout] (default for timeout is 20 seconds)
options: timeout period in seconds
example: ping 123.123.123.123 5--ping this IP address but give up after 5 seconds

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printenv: Display current settings of environment variables
usage: printenv [variable]--if no environment variable is specified, all are displayed
options: none
example: printenv HOST--displays the name of the host on which you're running
example: printenv MANPATH--displays the hierarchy of paths searched for manpages

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ps: Display processes
usage: ps - displays running processes
options: -u [user] display processes for user | -a display all processes
example: ps--displays info about your process
example: ps -u homer--displays all processes owned by homer
example: ps -a--displays all processes running

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pwd: Print working directory
usage: pwd - displays current directory path
options: none

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rm: Removes file(s)
usage: rm [file]
options: -i confirms erase | -r recursive erase
example: rm -r cs120--deletes everything under cs120 and then cs120 itself

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rmdir: Removes empty directory
usage: rmdir [dir] - removes directory same as "rm -r dir"
options: -p remove any parent directories which become empty because of this remove | -s suppress error msgs resulting from -p option
example: rmdir -p cs120-1998/--remove this directory and any of its empty parents

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sed: Stream editor for text
usage: sed [options][file]
options: -e efile use edit commands found in efile | -s sfile run script commands found in sfile | -n suppress output
example: sed

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set: Set environmental variables
usage: setenv depends on shell
options: see manpage
example: setenv SHELL=/bin/bash--override the default SHELL setting to use the bash shell

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sh: Bourne Shell
usage: sh [options] [args]
options: see manpage
example: sh -u--treat unset variables henceforth as errors rather than as nulls

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tail: Display file from a certain point
usage: tail [location] [file]
options: +n display n from beginning; -n display n from end of file
example: tail--displays last screen's worth of .cshrc
example: tail -10 .cshrc--displays last 10 lines of .cshrc

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tar: "Tape Archiver"; bundles a collection of files into one unit ("tarfile") for archiving or transmitting
usage: tar [options][tarfile][files]
options: see manpage
example: tar cf - . | gzip -c > test.tar.gz--bundles everything in the current directory, compresses it with gzip, creating a file called test.tar.gz
example: tar xvf files.tar--extracts files fromfiles.tar

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tcsh: C shell
usage: tcsh [options][args]
options: see manpage

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tee: Reproduces stdout in a file so that all the commands you enter and what is displayed as responses are logged
usage: tee [options][file]
options: -a append to output file file
example: tee 6.21-log--begin logging what you enter into the file 6.21-log

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touch: Change file access and modification times
usage: touch [options] files - creates a blank file, or updates existing file
options: -c do not create file if it does not exist | -t use time specified
example: touch new.txt creates file new.txt
example: touch -c new.txt--updates new.txt node information to current time but does not create new.txt

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uname: Display host name and info of current system
usage: uname
options: -r print OS release level | -a prints basic info | -s prints the name of the OS (default)
example: uname

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uuencode / uudecode: Encode/decode binary file for mail transmit; uudecode can process files packaged by uuencode, compress and tar
usage: uuencode / uuencode [source-file] [destination-file]
options:
example: uuencode fin final | mail--encode the file fin, storing the result in final and piping that file to the mail utility

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vi: Full-screen editor (not GUI); available when using telnet and rlogin sessions - not OMVS.
usage: vi [file]
options: -r retrieve last version of file after crash | -wn set window size to n
example: vi cleanup-script

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wc: Word Count
usage: wc [option] [file]
options: -l count the lines in the file | -w count the words | -c count the bytes | -m count characters | -lwc is the default
example: wc freditor--count the lines, words and bytes of the file

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who / whoami: List people logged on to computer or how you are logged on
usage: who
usage: whoami

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zcat: Utility to compress/uncompress files
usage: zcat [options][files]
options: see manpages