Human beings don’t think in computerese, which is why we need a reference work like this one. Commands tend to be rather obscure, and their purpose isn’t always apparent. To further your Linux efforts, we’ve compiled this listing of commands and organized them by keyword and function. You can look up an italicized keyword in the left column—say, print—and see which Linux commands help perform that task. Then go to Chapter 5 for a complete explanation of the command.
| If you want to...
| Use the Linux command...
|
| control server access
| xhost
|
| append files
| cat
|
| know your machine architecture
| arch
|
| create archive
| cpio, tar
|
| work with archives
| ar
|
| convert ASCII to bitmap
| atobm
|
| convert bitmap to ASCII
| bmtoa
|
| print at specific time
| atq
|
| run command at specific time
| at
|
| list atoms
| xlsatoms
|
| manage authorization information
| xauth
|
| set background attributes
| xsetroot
|
| set background image
| xpmroot
|
| print a banner
| banner
|
| display file basename
| basename
|
| run batch commands
| batch
|
| display beginning of file
| head
|
| display end of file
| tail
|
| convert ASCII to bitmap
| atobm
|
| convert bitmap to ASCII
| bmtoa
|
| view and edit bitmaps
| bitmap
|
| compile C programs
| gcc
|
| compile C++ programs
| gcc, g++
|
| perform calculations
| bc, pname, xcalc
|
| view a calendar
| cal
|
| clear your screen
| clear
|
| list running clients
| xlsclients
|
| display contents of clipboard
| xclipboard
|
| display a clock
| oclock, xclock
|
| show color database
| showrgb
|
| display colormap
| xcmap
|
| set colormap properties
| xstdcmap
|
| cut column
| cut
|
| create columns
| column
|
| combine files
| cat, join
|
| run command at specific time
| at
|
| build command lines
| xargs
|
| compare files
| cmp, diff, diff3, sdiff, zcmp, zdiff
|
|
|
|
| compare compressed files
| zcmp, zdiff
|
| compare sorted files
| comm
|
| compare text files
| diff, diff3, sdiff
|
| compare three text files
| diff3
|
| compile C programs
| gcc
|
| compile C++ programs
| gcc, g++
|
| compile Fortran programs
| g77
|
| compress executable file
| gzexe
|
| compress file
| gzip, znew
|
| connect to another computer
| minicom, seyon
|
| copy files
| cp, cat
|
| count words
| wc
|
| return the current date
| date
|
| change the date on your system
| date
|
| decode file
| uudecode
|
| delete files
| rm
|
| delete directories
| rmdir
|
| change directory
| cd
|
| make directory
| mkdir
|
| print current directory
| pwd
|
| list disk free space
| df
|
| lock display
| xlock
|
| view display information
| xdpyinfo
|
| query DNS server
| dnsquery
|
| show domain name
| dnshostname
|
| echo input
| echo
|
| edit text file
| elvis, emacs, vi, vim, xedit
|
| create electronic mail
| elm, mail, metasend, pine
|
| encode electronic mail
| mimencode, mmencode
|
| format electronic mail
| formail
|
| notify of incoming electronic mail
| biff, xbiff, wnewmail
|
| create multimedia electronic mail
| metasend
|
| print electronic mail
| printmail
|
| read electronic mail
| elm, mail, pine, readmsg
|
| reply via electronic mail
| Rnmail
|
| retrieve electronic mail via POP
| popclient
|
| send batches of electronic mail
| fastmail
|
| split MIME electronic mail
| splitmail
|
| launch electronic-mail server
| imapd, sendmail
|
| encode file
| uuencode
|
| return environment variables
| printenv
|
| set environment variables
| env
|
| view event information
| xev
|
| make FIFO
| mkfifo
|
| check files
| cksum
|
| find files
| find
|
| change finger information
| chfn
|
| return finger information
| finger
|
| launch font server
| xfs
|
| view font server information
| fsinfo
|
| list fonts
| fslsfonts, showfont, xfd, Xfontsel, xlsfonts
|
| format file
| fmt, groff
|
| format floppy disk
| fdformat
|
| compile Fortran programs
| g77
|
| generate fractals
| xfractint
|
| launch FTP server
| ftpd
|
| edit graphics
| xv
|
| change group
| chgrp, newgrp
|
| view online help
| apropos, info, man, whatis, Xman
|
| return host information
| host
|
| set hostname
| hostname
|
| view keyboard information
| dumpkeys, kdb_mode
|
| modify keymaps
| xmodmap
|
| save keystrokes to file
| script
|
| view keyword information
| whatis
|
| edit images
| xv
|
| launch IMAP mail server
| imapd
|
| launch Internet server
| inetd
|
| join sorted files
| join
|
| link files
| ln
|
| list files
| dir, ls
|
| lock display
| xlock
|
| login remotely
| rlogin
|
| login system
| login
|
| view login name
| logname
|
| create electronic mail
| elm, mail, metasend, pine
|
| encode electronic mail
| mimencode, mmencode
|
| format electronic mail
| formail
|
| notify of incoming electronic mail
| biff, xbiff, wnewmail
|
| create multimedia electronic mail
| metasend
|
| print electronic mail
| printmail
|
| read electronic mail
| elm, mail, pine, readmsg
|
| reply via electronic mail
| Rnmail
|
| retrieve electronic mail via POP
| popclient
|
| send batches of electronic mail
| fastmail
|
| split MIME electronic mail
| splitmail
|
| launch mail server
| imapd, sendmail
|
| list free memory
| free
|
| merge files
| paste
|
| MIME-encode electronic mail
| mimencode, mmencode
|
| split MIME electronic mail
| splitmail
|
| change mode
| chmod
|
| mount disk
| mount
|
| mount floppy disk
| fdmount
|
| mount tape drive
| mt
|
| move files
| mv
|
| create multimedia electronic mail
| metasend
|
| list network users
| rusers
|
| check Usenet news
| checknews
|
| post Usenet news
| Pnews, postnews
|
| read Usenet news
| trn
|
| list Usenet newsgroups
| getlist
|
| run commands nicely
| nice
|
| set options
| xset
|
| change owner
| chown
|
| display X pixmap
| sxpm
|
| partition drive
| fdisk
|
| change password
| passwd
|
| change permissions
| chmod
|
| retrieve electronic mail via POP
| popclient
|
| view PostScript file
| ghostview
|
| print at specific time
| atq
|
| print electronic mail
| printmail
|
| print file
| lpr
|
| prepare file for printing
| pr
|
| delete print job
| lprm
|
| view process status
| ps, w
|
| end process
| kill, killall, xkill
|
| reprioritize process
| snice
|
| return a process ID
| pidof
|
| list the processes eating the most CPU time
| top
|
| display X properties
| xprop
|
| refresh your screen
| xrefresh
|
| remove files
| rm
|
| remove directories
| rmdir
|
| set X resource database
| xrdb
|
| list X resources
| appres, listres, viewres
|
| reverse file lines
| rev
|
| set root attributes
| xsetroot
|
| set root image
| xpmroot
|
| change root directory
| chroot
|
| schedule tasks
| cron
|
| clear your screen
| clear
|
| magnify screen
| xmag
|
| refresh your screen
| xrefresh
|
| create screen capture
| xwd, xv
|
| display screen capture
| xwud, xv
|
| search files
| egrep, fgrep, grep
|
| search compressed files
| zegrep, zfgrep, zgrep
|
| launch session manager
| xsm
|
| control server access
| xhost
|
| view X server performance
| x11perf
|
| compare X server performance
| x11perfcomp
|
| change your shell
| chsh
|
| create shell archives
| shar
|
| unpack a shell archive
| unshar
|
| run two shells in two windows
| splitvt
|
| trace signal
| strace
|
| sort files
| sort
|
| check spelling
| ispell
|
| split file
| csplit, split
|
| launch a spreadsheet
| pname, xspread
|
| trace system call
| strace
|
| display system usage
| uptime, w
|
| display system load
| tload, xload
|
| display system statistics
| systat
|
| create tape archive
| cpio, tar
|
| mount tape drive
| mt
|
| run Tcl command shell
| wish
|
| telecommunicate with another computer
| minicom, seyon
|
| launch terminal emulator
| rxvt, xterm
|
| change terminal settings
| stty
|
| view texinfo information
| info
|
| find text in binary file
| strings
|
| edit text file
| elvis, emacs, vi, vim, xedit
|
| trace system call
| strace
|
| transfer files
| ftp, tftp
|
| send data to two files
| tee
|
| determine file type
| file
|
| unmount filesystems
| umount
|
| unzip file
| gunzip, gzip, zcat
|
| unzip zipped file
| unzip
|
| check Usenet news
| checknews
|
| post Usenet news
| Pnews, postnews
|
| read Usenet news
| trn
|
| list Usenet newsgroups
| getlist
|
| list user information
| who, rwho
|
| substitute user
| su
|
| list logged-in users
| users
|
| list network users
| rusers
|
| return environment variables
| printenv
|
| set environment variables
| env
|
| configure video card
| SuperProbe
|
| view files
| cat, less, more
|
| view compressed files
| zmore
|
| search whatis database
| apropos
|
| set page width
| fold
|
| display window information
| xwininfo
|
| count words
| wc
|
| browse World Wide Web
| lynx
|
| launch World Wide Web server
| httpd
|
| launch X Window System
| startx
|
| generate XF86Config file
| Xf86config
|
| receive via xmodem
| rx
|
| send via xmodem
| sx
|
| receive via ymodem
| rb
|
| send via ymodem
| sb
|
| receive via zmodem
| rz
|
| send via zmodem
| sz
|