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UNIX Quick Guide
Posted: 10: 37 AM, Monday, Feb 10, 2003
Last Updated: 8:00 AM, Thursday, September 10, 2009

This document introduces you to UNIX. It has the following sections:
What is UNIX?
UNIX is an operating system that originated at Bell Labs in 1969 as an interactive time-sharing system. Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie are considered the inventors of UNIX. The name (pronounced YEW-nihks) was a pun based on an earlier system, Multics. In 1974, UNIX became the first operating system written in the C language. UNIX operating systems are used in widely-sold workstation products from Sun Microsystems, Silicon Graphics, IBM, and a number of other companies. UNIX is an important element in the development of the Internet and the reshaping of computing as centered in networks rather than in individual computers. Linux, a UNIX derivative distributed as "free software," is increasing in popularity as an alternative to proprietary operating systems.
[This information is courtesy of www.whatis.com]


How do I get to my UNIX prompt from my Acad account?
Your Acad account is a UNIX account. To get to a UNIX prompt, first login to your Acad account via ssh and you will be a the UNIX prompt.


How do I log off of my UNIX account?
  1. From the UNIX command prompt type bye, logout or exit.
  2. You should always log out. Simply disconnecting your connection can create problems.


Basic UNIX Commands
Below is a listing of some basic UNIX commands. UNIX is very sensitive when it comes to character cases. All UNIX commands I have seen are in lower case. Some commands have upper case options.
Command What this command does
man

Example:
man ls		 This followed by any UNIX command, displays a `manual' page for that command. This manual shows you usage and other options.

this displays the man pages for the ls command.
ls

ls -a

ls -l

ls -F

ls -alF		 Lists files in your UNIX directory.

-a option lists all of your files

-l displays a long list of your files

-F lists a full description of your files

These options can be combined together
mkdir

Example:
mkdir public_html		 create [make] a directory

makes a directory called public_html
rmdir

Example:
rmdir Test		remove/delete a directory

removes the directory Test. Note that the directory must be empty before it is removed/deleted.

Directories cannot be undeleted.
rm

Example:
rm Test_File.txt		 remove/delete file

remove file called Test_File.txt. Note files cannot be undeleted.
pwd displays Present Working Directory
This displays your current directory.
pilot starts a file management utility. You can use this to delete, rename, edit, move, etc...files.
mv

Example:
mv myfile ~/mail

mv myfile yourfile		 move files from location to another.
Can also be used to rename files

This moves the file myfile to the mail directory.

This renames myfile to yourfile
cp

Example:
cp thisfile ~/mail		 copy files

Copies the file thisfile to the mail directory
cd

Example:
cd ~/mail		 change directory. Simply typing cd, returns you to your root directory.

This command takes you to your mail directory
pico

Example:

pico index.html		 This invokes a UNIX based text editor. You can follow the pico command by a file name. If that file exists, pico will open that file. If that file does not exist, pico will create a new file.

this opens the file index.html in pico.

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