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SURVIVAL KIT FOR UNIX

By N. Bordes

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INDEX

• 1. General Stuff
  
  • 1.1 Creating shells
    
  • 1.2 Moving, Sizing shells
    
• 2. Directories
  
  • 2.1 Listing Directories and Files: ls
    
  • 2.2 Creating Directories: mkdir
    
  • 2.3 Deleting Directories: rmdir
    
  • 2.4 Finding the Location of a Directory: pwd
    
  • 2.5 Changing Directories: cd
    
• 3. Files
  
  • 3.1 Wildcards: * ? [ ]
    
  • 3.2 Copying Files: cp
    
  • 3.3 Renaming Files: mv
    
  • 3.4 Deleting Files: rm
    
  • 3.5 Reading Files: cat
    
• 4. Printing
  
• 5. ftp, telnet
  
  • 5.1 telnet
    
  • 5.2 ftp
    

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It is assumed here that you have an account with a username and a valid password and that you can handle a keyboard and a mouse.

1. General Stuff.

NB 1 : you need to move the cursor inside a shell to make the shell active before issuing a command.

1.1 Creating shells

1. go to the Desk 1 box located at the left top corner.
2. select Tools and Shell .
3. a shell appears wherever you click on the screen ( Fig. 1 ).

1.2 Moving, Sizing shells

1. move a shell by either:
   • clicking and holding inside the shell's menu bar
   • pressing Alt and F7 at the same time
   • click with the right mouse button on the border and select Move .
2. size a shell by either:
   • clicking and holding inside the shell's window
   • pressing Alt and F8 at the same time
   • click with the right mouse button on the border and select Size .
3. raise a shell by either:
   • clicking and holding the outline of the shell's window
   • pressing Alt and F1 at the same time
   • click with the right mouse button on the border and select Raise .
4. lower a shell by either:
   • pressing Alt and F3 at the same time
   • click with the right mouse button on the border and select Lower .

Warning : UNIX commands are case sensitive !

2. Directories.

The UNIX directory system looks like something in Fig. 2 :

NB : you can get info on any command by typing man commandname.

2.1 Listing Directories and Files: ls

ls : list all files by name

ls -c : list all files on several columns

ls -l : list all files with all info

ls -al : list all files (hidden files included)

ls .. : list parent's directory of working directory

ls ../.. : list parent's parent directory of working directory

2.2 Creating Directories: mkdir

mkdir dir1 : create directory dir1

mkdir dir1 /dir2: create subdirectory dir2 in directory dir1

2.3 Deleting Directories: rmdir

rmdir dir1: remove directory dir1

rmdir dir1/dir2: remove subdirectory dir2 in directory dir1

2.4 Finding the Location of a Directories: pwd

pwd : print pathname of the working directory

2.5 Changing Directories: cd

cd dir1: change directory

cd pathname / dir1: change directory

3. Files.

3.1 Wildcards: * ? [ ]

ls e *: list all files beginning with e

ls e ?: list all files beginning with e followed by only one character

ls [ aeiou ] file: list all files beginning with a vowel followed by file

ls [ aeiou ]*: list all files beginning with a vowel

ls [ a-m ]*: list all files starting from a to m

3.2 Copying Files: cp

cp sourcefile destinationfile: copy sourcefile to destinationfile

cp /home/dir1/dir2/ sourcefile : copy sourcefile to current directory

cp sourcefile /home/dir1/ dir2/destinationfile: copy sourcefile to /home/dir1/ dir2/ and name it destinationfile

cp *.txt dir2: copy all files ending with .txt to dir2

cp filename1 filename2 dir2: copy filename1 and filename2 to dir2

3.3 Renaming Files: mv

mv sourcefile destinationfile: rename sourcefile, destinationfile

3.4 Deleting Files: rm

rm filename: remove filename

rm dir1/old*: remove all files starting with old from dir1

/rm -r filename: remove filename without asking you for a confirmation

3.5 Reading Files: cat

cat filename1 filename2 : (ctrl-s: stops scrolling, ctrl-q: resumes scrolling)

pg filename: same as cat but display one screen at a time the content of filename (hit return to display next page; type q to get out)

4. Printing.

lp filename: print filename on the Apple laserwriter

5. Ftp, Telnet.

Telnet allows you to connect you to another computer while ftp allows you to grab or copy files that sit on another computer.

5.1 telnet

telnet computer.address: connects you to computer; enter your username and password when prompted

quit: ends the connection

5.2 ftp

ftp computer.address: connects you to computer; enter your username and password when prompted

bin: binary

as: ASCII

get filename: grab a file from the computer you made the connection to

put filename: put a file into the computer you made the connection to

bye: ends the connection

These commands are a strict minimum to survive in VisLab. If you want to know more about UNIX, there is a manual somewhere in VisLab which gives a basic introduction to UNIX (you might have to do some research!).

Finally, if you have any problems (computer-related only!), shout HELP!!! and rescue should be under way within minutes in the person of Ben, Chris, Mitch. Wei or Nicole (don't ask Bernard!).