Basic Unix Commands

Unix Command	Description
ls	List directory contents
cp	Copy files
rm	Remove directory entries
file	Determine file type
find	Walk a file hierarchy
which	Locate a program file in the user’s path
whereis	Locate programs
gcc, g++	GNU project C and C++ Compiler
gdb	The GNU Debugger
less	View the contents of a text file
diff	Find differences between two files
cmp	Compare two files
vi	Text editor
chmod	Change file modes
man	Display the on-line manual pages
mv	Move and rename files
ispell	Interactive spelling checker
biff	Be notified if mail arrives and who it is from
lpr	Print a file
lpq	Show the print queue
ftp	Transfer a file to another Unix system
logout	Quit using the system
pwd	Print working directory name
cd	Change working directory
ln	Make a file link
mkdir	Make directories
rmdir	Remove directories
chmod	Change file modes
quota	Display disk usage and limits
history	Display a list of recent commands
ps	Show the status of processes
kill	Stop a running processes
passwd	Change your password
alias	Create a command alias
unalias	Delete a command alias
export	Set an environment variable
script	Record your terminal session to a file
bg	Send a job to the background
fg	Bring a job to the foreground
jobs	Print a list of current job