A Summary of Minimal UNIX Commands - Fall '02

Remember - the computer is your friend, but it is not too smart and will do EXACTLY what you tell it, not what you meant!

Be wary of "info overload" - set bookmarks with netscape (or lynx)

Try to get into the habit and reading the screen when you first log onto rohan. This gives valuable system information, such as scheduled down times and changes to software.

All commands below are to be typed from the Unix command line.

The tools we will use are:
• Unix: very powerful operating system
  • type logout to quit
  • type help unix for some on-line information
• pico simple UNIX editor - start this tool by typing pico
  • once within pico - type ^G for help
  • type man pico from Unix prompt for on-line information
  • CAREFULLY READ MESSAGES AT BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN
• vi visual editor get help (see next line) before using
  • type help vi for on-line information subtopic vi_summary is helpful
  • type vilearn for detailed introduction
• pine for email - start this tool by typing pine
  • once within pine - type ? for help
  • for more details, type help pine from Unix prompt or use the URL with a Web browser http://www.cac.washington.edu/pine/ Pine Web Info
  • CAREFULLY READ MESSAGES AT BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN
• lynx text-based browser for accessing the World Wide Web
  (very fast and handy to use from line-up at home)
  start this tool by typing lynx
  • once within lynx - type ? for help
  • set bookmarks to help organize information.
    • lynx http://rohan.sdsu.edu/ goes directly to rohan's Home Page
    • rohan's Home Page (web link)
    • lynx http://rohan.sdsu.edu/0200rohan1.html Guide to using Rohan
    • Guide to using Rohan (web link)
    • lynx http://www.sdsu.edu/ goes directly to SDSU's Home Page
    • SDSU's Home Page (web link)
• netscape Graphic browser for accessing the World Wide Web.
  • type netscape when using Xterms in BA110/113
  • SET A BOOKMARK WHEN YOU FIND AN INTERESTING LOCATION

If you get the message - Terminal Type Unknown You need to type set term=vt100 right away if this is the terminal type your software is emulating.

If your screen lines start to look "messed up" type resize

If your backspace key doesn't work - type stty erase your-favorite-single-key-stroke-here

SDSU's rohan machine is a Sun Sparc Station 10.

Useful Unix commands
(a directory = a folder and Unix is case-sensitive):

xterm&

Open a new xterm window (when in BA113/110)

ls

list contents of current directory

mkdir dir

create a subdirectory named 'dir'

rmdir dir

remove the subdirectory name 'dir' (the subdirectory must be empty first)

cd dir1

change to subdirectory dir1 (contained in current directory)

cd ..

change to 'parent' directory

pwd

print working directory (Where am I?)

head filename

display the first few lines of a file

more filename

display contents of filename, screen by screen

mv file1 file2

move (rename) contents of file1 into file2

cp file1 file2

copy the contents of file1 into file2

rm file

remove (delete) the 'file'

ctrl-u (press Ctrl-key & the letter u at same time)

erase current line

ctrl-c

terminates (kills) current job

ctrl-s

temporarily halts the listing on screen

ctrl-q

continued the halted listing

quota -v

display current file storage used (in Kbytes)

du

gives directory structure and amount of space used

gzip filename

reduces size and replaces by filename.gz

gunzip filename.gz

undoes "gzip" so you can read filename again

tar cf mytar.tar *

(c)reate archive file, mytar.tar, containing everything in current dir and recursively all files in subdirs

tar xf mytar.tar

e(x)tract from the archive (keeps dir structure)

tar tf mytar.tar

(t)est the archive file mytar.tar to see contents
*** man tar *** for all the details.
There are tar utilities that run on Macintosh and PC also.
THESE FILES MUST BE DOWNLOADED AS BINARY.

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