Unix Command Dictionary (Hanson)


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UNIX Command Dictionaries

The UNIX manual is mostly on line and the UNIX `man' command is used to display parts of the manual. Typing

will yield information in an almost readable format during a IBM Telnet session. The problem is that you have both UNIX and CMS paging the output. You respond to the UNIX paging prompt `:' with a `(CR)' return for a new page, `d (CR)' for a short new page, u (CR)' for a short page up (back), or `q (CR)' to quit. For the CMS paging prompt `holding', respond with the designated `Clear-key'. If you are using IBM Telnet, then `man [command]' usually produces poor output for the head of the display. The version `man -blou [command] (CR)' should remove underscoring and other backspacing for printing at UIC, but does not work completely. For a quick overview of a command try the `-q' quick option: Alternatively, is useful for redirecting the output to a file that can later be transfer back to CMS for printing (e.g. by `printdoc'). The UNIX no paging `-r' option does not work in a CMS session, so the CMS user has to press both the `Return-key' for a new UNIX `man' page or the `Clear-key' for a new CMS page depending on the odd UNIX prompt or the CMS ``HOLDING'' prompt, respectively.

This abridged UNIX dictionary is only intended to be a short enough list to get you started without being bewildered by the enormous UNIX manuals, but with enough commands to be able to do something useful. For more information use the `man' command or refer to some of the UNIX texts. UNIX is a trademark of Bell Laboratories.

The format is

along with a carriage return `(CR)' for each command. DO NOT FORGET that almost all UNIX commands must be in lower case. Do not attempt to learn all of this at once, but read some of it and try it out at an actual computer session.


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UNIX Log In and Out Commands:


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UNIX Information Commands


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UNIX C Language Commands


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UNIX makefile Commands


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UNIX Directory Commands


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UNIX File Commands


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UNIX Pipe and Redirection Commands

The commands in this subsection embody some of the powerful advantages of UNIX.


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UNIX Mail Commands


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UNIX Control-Key Commands


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UNIX Terminal Environment Commands


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UNIX Process Commands


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UNIX Editor Commands


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ex Editor

`Ex' is the UNIX line editor (`ed' is another UNIX line editor) and `vi' is the full screen editor that is disabled by IBM TELNET. The prompt is `:', but the user enters input at the bottom of the screen with IBM TELNET line mode. In `ex' `.' means the current line, `$' means the last line, and `%' means the whole range of lines `1,$'. `[L1],[L2]' denotes the range from line `[L1]' to line `[L2]'. The user may want to do major editing on the CMS multi-line editor XEDIT and send the file using the FTP file transfer protocol. Some students may have had experience with this editor (or the similar `ed' editor) from EECS courses. These `ex' commands can be used within the `vi' editor by typing a colon `:' in front of the `ex' command, which is another reason for learning `ex' with `vi' when you have an account where `vi' can be used.


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vi Editor

The UNIX full screen editor `vi' is a tightly designed editing system in which almost every letter has a function and the function is stronger for upper than lower case. However, a letter and its actual function are usually closely related. It is important to remember that the `(Esc)' escape key ends most functions and a `(Esc), (Esc)' double application certainly ends the function with the ring of a bell. The subcommand `u' undoes the last function (presumably an error). Use `:q! (CR)' to end with out saving, especially in hopeless situations. Use `:wq (CR)' to resave and end {`ZZ' also resaves and ends, but will not resave if the file has been saved in another file and no further changes have been made}, or `:w (CR)' to only resave. The character `:' prompts the UNIX line editor `ex' which you can think of as being embedded in `vi'. Some of the above critical `vi' subcommands are repeated below with others. Most `vi' subcommands are not displayed when used and do not take a carriage return `(CR)'. The fact that most keys have a meaning both as single characters and as concatenations of several characters has many benefits, but has disadvantages in that mistakes can turn out to be catastrophic. {Remember that `(Esc), (Esc), u' key sequence!} {WARNING: `VI' is disabled during an IBM Telnet session.}

Some `ex' editor commands that are useful in `vi' follow the `:' prompt. See the previous section on `ex' for more commands.

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