Introduction to Unix

2. GNU Utilities for Nonprogrammers

Linux for Programmers and Users, chapter 3.

We begin the study of how to use the Unix / Linux system by looking at the basic system usage and commands that any user might use. Later, we will look at more advanced commands and how to write Unix shell script programs.

• 2.1. Types of Commands
• 2.2. Structure of a Command
• 2.3. Basic Unix Commands
• 2.4. Standard Files and File Descriptors
• 2.5. Using man
  • 2.5.1. Understanding a man Page
  • 2.5.2. Related Commands
• 2.6. Special characters
• 2.7. passwd
• 2.8. Logging Out
• 2.9. Working with Files and Directories
  • 2.9.1. Sampling of file manipulation commands
  • 2.9.2. pwd
  • 2.9.3. Pathnames: Two Types
  • 2.9.4. The HOME Directory
  • 2.9.5. Creating a File
  • 2.9.6. Viewing the Contents of Files
  • 2.9.7. Directory Contents (ls)
  • 2.9.8. Viewing Contents of Text Files
  • 2.9.9. Copying Files
  • 2.9.10. Moving Files
  • 2.9.11. Removing Files
  • 2.9.12. Creating, Deleting and Managing Directories
  • 2.9.13. More file commands
• 2.10. Properties of Files and Directories
  • 2.10.1. The Hierarchical Structure of the File System
  • 2.10.2. File Attributes
  • 2.10.3. Types of Files
  • 2.10.4. file
  • 2.10.5. The Unix Filename
  • 2.10.6. Understanding Ownership and Group Ownership
  • 2.10.7. Setting User and Group Ownership of Files
  • 2.10.8. Changing file permissions
  • 2.10.9. Directory Permissions
  • 2.10.10. umask
• 2.11. Using Text Editors
  • 2.11.1. emacs
  • 2.11.2. vi
  • 2.11.3. nano