| Command |
Summary Use |
| Use cd to change
directories |
Type cd followed by the
name of a directory to access that directory.
Keep in mind that you are always in a directory and
allowed access to any directories hierarchically above or
below. You may also benefit from reviewing my directory commands page.Ex:
cd games
If the directory games is not located hierarchically
below the current directory, then the complete path must
be written out. Ex:
cd /usr/games
To move up one directory, use the shortcut command. Ex:
cd ..
|
| Use clear to clear the command prompt |
Type clear to clean up your command prompt window.
This is especially helpful when you are typing lots of commands and need a clean window to help you focus.Ex:
clear
This is also useful when you are getting ready to type a rather long command and do not wish to become confused by other details on the screen.
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| Use date to set your server's date and time |
Type date followed by the two digit month, the two digit date, the two digit time, and two digit minutes. The syntax is easy enough and resembles this: MMDDhhmm
This command is helpful but must be used when superuser or logged in as root.
You can get more help with administrator commands by clicking this link. Note that if you don't use root, you will get an "Operation not permitted" reply.As root user you can use the command such as:
date 11081300
The above command will set the server date and time to the 11th month (November), the 8th day, at 1:00pm.
|
| Use df to check disk space |
Typing df provides a very
quick check of your file system disk space.
Type df -h to get a more easily readable version of the output. Notice that this command will include all applicable storage such as your hard disk/s (hda, hdb etc.) and your server SWAP file (shm). To list disk space including filesystem type:
df -h -T
|
| Use finger to see who's
on the system |
Typing finger allows you
to see who else is on the system or get detailed
information about a person who has access to the system.
Type finger followed by the
name of a user's account to get information about that
user. Or, type finger and press enter to see who's on the
system and what they are doing. Ex:
finger johndoe
|
| Use logout to quit
using the system |
Yep, you guessed it,
typing logout will log your account out of the system.
Type logout at the prompt to disconnect from your Linux
machine or to logout a particular user session from the
system. Keep in mind that although rudimentary, leaving
your critical account logged on may be a security concern.
We always recommend promptly using logout when you are
finished using your root account! Ex:
logout
|
| Use ls
to list files and directories |
Type ls
to see a list of the files and directories located in the
current directory. If you’re in the directory named games
and you type ls,
a list will appear that contains files in the games
directory and sub-directories in the games directory.
Examples:
ls Mail
ls /usr/bin
Type ls -alt to see a list of all files (including .rc
files) and all directories located in the current
directory. The listing will include detailed, often
useful information. Examples:
ls -alt
ls -alt /usr/bin
If the screen flies by and you miss seeing a
number of files, try using the |more at the end like:
ls -alt |more* In Bash (Linux
shell) often the abbreviated command L is available. To
get a verbose listing of files and directories you could
therefore simply type: l
|
| Use man to pull up
information about a Linux command |
Type man followed by a
command to get detailed information about how to use the
command. Ex:
man ls
Type man -k followed by a word
to list all of the commands and descriptions that contain
the word you specified. Ex:
man -k finger
|
| Use more
to read the contents of a file |
Type more
followed by the name of a text file to read the file’s
contents. Why do we exmphasize using this on a "text"
file? Because most other types of files will look like
garbage! Ex:
more testfile.txt
|
| Use nano to start a text editor |
Typing nano will start a basic text editor
on most Linux systems.
Type nano followed by the
filename you wish to edit. This basic editor is quick and easy to use for beginners. However, it is
very important that you also learn about other text editors available on Linux and UNIX systems. Click on this link to learn about others like emacs, vi, and pico. Ex:
nano /etc/security/access.conf
|
| Use passwd to change
your current password |
Type passwd and press
enter. You'll see the message Changing password
for yourname.
At the Old password: prompt, type in your old password .
Then, at the Enter new password: prompt, type in your new
password .
The system double checks your new password. Beside the
Verify: prompt, type the new password and press again.
Create a secure password that combines parts of words and
numbers. For instance, your dog's name may be Rufus. He
may have been born in 1980. Create a password that uses parts
of both the name and date of birth, such as 80rufuS. Note the use of at least one capital letter. This
is a fairly secure password and easy to remember.
|
| Use pwd to list the
name of your current directory |
Type pwd and hit enter.
You'll see the full name of the
directory you are currently in. This is your directory
path and is very handy. This is especially handy when you
forget which directory you’ve changed to and are
trying to run other commands.
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