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CLI list of common and other commands

Posted: Sun Oct 18, 2009 2:10 pm
by Lantesh
Ok so I was bored this morning, and I thought I'd go through my notes and combine some of the different lists of various commands I've accumulated over the last couple of years. This is certainly not an all encompassing list, but I thought it might be helpful for someone new to Linux. My apologies for any errors. My eyes started going buggy after a while.

Also, sorry I had to put in "code" format instead of just listing it outright. I did this because when I first pasted it in the spaces I put between the commands and the description where not be preserved. At least this way it will make more sense as you read each line.

Code: Select all

alias     Create an alias
acpi -V     shows thermal temperature
apropos     Search Help manual pages (man -k)
apt-cache     debian apt library
apt-cache search <search subject>     Search debian repo for apps
apt-get dist-upgrade     upgrade all
apt-get update     update sources.list
awk     Find and Replace text, database sort/validate/index

break     Exit from a loop
builtin     Run a shell builtin
bzip2     Compress or decompress named file(s)

cp     copy
cal     Display a calendar
case     Conditionally perform a command
cat     Display the contents of a file
cat /proc/cpuinfo     CPU info
cat /proc/asound/version     shows ALSA version
cd     Change Directory
cfdisk     Partition table manipulator for Linux
chgrp     Change group ownership
chmod     Change access permissions
chown     Change file owner and group
chroot     Run a command with a different root directory
cksum     Print CRC checksum and byte counts
clear     Clear terminal screen
cmp     Compare two files
comm     Compare two sorted files line by line
command     Run a command - ignoring shell functions
continue     Resume the next iteration of a loop
convert -resize 640x480 -colors 14 wallpaper.png splashimage.xpm && gzip 	splashimage.xpm     change picture into grub splash.
cp     Copy one or more files to another location
cp /<filename.backup>/<filename>     reset to backup file
cron     Daemon to execute scheduled commands
crontab     Schedule a command to run at a later time
csplit     Split a file into context-determined pieces
cut     Divide a file into several parts

date     Display or change the date & time
dc     Desk Calculator
dd     Data Dump - Convert and copy a file
ddrescue     Data recovery tool
deborphan | xargs sudo apt-get -y remove –purge     remove orphans
declare     Declare variables and give them attributes
df     Display free disk space
df -h     disk space usage
diff     Display the differences between two files
diff3     Show differences among three files
dig     DNS lookup
dir     Briefly list directory contents
dircolors     Colour setup for `ls'
dirname     Convert a full pathname to just a path
dirs     Display list of remembered directories
dmidecode | more     Detailed BIOS info
dpkg -l | cut -d " " -f 3     list installed packages
dpkg-reconfigure menu sudo dpkg-reconfigure menu-xdg     fix Debian menu, need to reboot
dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg     Reconfigure periphials, graphics
du     Estimate file space usage

echo     Display message on screen
egrep     Search file(s) for lines that match an extended expression
eject     Eject removable media
enable     Enable and disable builtin shell commands
env     Environment variables
etc/gnome/default.list     file of default programs
ethtool     Ethernet card settings
eval     Evaluate several commands/arguments
exec     Execute a command
exit     Exit the shell
expand     Convert tabs to spaces
export     Set an environment variable
expr     Evaluate expressions

false     Do nothing, unsuccessfully
fdformat     Low-level format a floppy disk
fdisk     Partition table manipulator for Linux
fdisk -l     View Hard drive partitions
fglrxinfo     graphics driver info
fgrep     Search file(s) for lines that match a fixed string
file     Determine file type
find     Search for files that meet a desired criteria
fmt     Reformat paragraph text
fold     Wrap text to fit a specified width
for     Expand words, and execute commands
format     Format disks or tapes
free     Display memory usage
free -m     memoryusage
fsck     File system consistency check and repair
ftp     File Transfer Protocol
function     Define Function Macros

gawk     Find and Replace text within file(s)
getopts     Parse positional parameters
glxgears     check 3d graphics
glxinfo     opengl info
grep     Search file(s) for lines that match a given pattern
groups     Print group names a user is in
gzip     Compress or decompress named file(s)

hash     Remember the full pathname of a name argument
hdparm -l /dev/sda     hard drive settings
hdparm -tT /dev/sda     hard drive speed
head     Output the first part of file(s)
history     Command History
hostname     Print or set system name

id     Print user and group id's
if     Conditionally perform a command
ifconfig     network configuration info
import     Capture an X server screen and save the image to file
install     Copy files and set attribute
inxi -G     shows graphic card information
inxi -F     shows hardware information
join     Join lines on a common field

kill     Stop a process from running
killall gnome-panel     kill,refresh panel

less     Display output one screen at a time
let     Perform arithmetic on shell variables
ln     Make links between files
local     Create variables
locate     Find files
logname     Print current login name
logout     Exit a login shell
look     Display lines beginning with a given string
lpc     Line printer control program
lpr     Off line print
lprint     Print a file
lprintd     Abort a print job
lprintq     List the print queue
lprm     Remove jobs from the print queue
ls     list contents of directory
lsb_release -a     OS/kernel info
lshw     list hardware
lsof     List open files
lspci     list pci devices
lsusb     list usb devices

make     Recompile a group of programs
man      Help manual
man command | col -b > file.txt     save man output to file
man -f     man title of target
man intro     user commands help
man -k     man file for target
man man     man manual
mkdir     Create new folder(s) / make directory
mkfifo     Make FIFOs (named pipes)
mkisofs     Create an hybrid ISO9660/JOLIET/HFS filesystem
mknod     Make block or character special files
more     Display output one screen at a time
mount     Mount a file system
mtools     Manipulate MS-DOS files
mv     Move or rename files or directories

netstat     Networking information
nice     Set the priority of a command or job
nl     Number lines and write files
nohup     Run a command immune to hangups
nslookup     Query Internet name servers interactively

passwd     Modify a user password
paste     Merge lines of files
pathchk     Check file name portability
ping     Test a network connection
popd     Restore the previous value of the current directory
pr     Prepare files for printing
printcap     Printer capability database
printenv     Print environment variables
printf     Format and print data
ps     Process status
pushd     Save and then change the current directory
pwd     Print Working Directory

quota     Display disk usage and limits
quotacheck     Scan a file system for disk usage
quotactl     Set disk quotas

ram     ram disk device
rcp     Copy files between two machines.
read     read a line from standard input
readonly     Mark variables/functions as readonly
remsync     Synchronize remote files via email
return     Exit a shell function
rm     Remove files
rm -r     remove all
rmdir     Remove folder(s) / directory
rsync     Remote file copy (Synchronize file trees)

screen     Terminal window manager
scp     Secure copy (remote file copy)
sdiff     Merge two files interactively
sed     Stream Editor
select     Accept keyboard input
seq     Print numeric sequences
set     Manipulate shell variables and functions
sftp     Secure File Transfer Program
shift     Shift positional parameters
shopt     Shell Options
shutdown     Shutdown or restart linux
sleep     Delay for a specified time
sort     Sort text files
source     Run commands from a file
split     Split a file into fixed-size pieces
ssh     Secure Shell client (remote login program)
strace     Trace system calls and signals
su     Substitute user identity
sum     Print a checksum for a file
symlink     Make a new name for a file
sync     Synchronize data on disk with memory

tail     Output the last part of files
tar     Tape ARchiver
tee     Redirect output to multiple files
test     Evaluate a conditional expression
time     Measure Program running time
times     User and system times
touch     Change file timestamps
top    List processes, resources, cpu, ram, etc. running on the system
traceroute     Trace Route to Host
trap     Run a command when a signal is set(bourne)
tr     Translate, squeeze, and/or delete characters
true     Do nothing, successfully
tsort     Topological sort
tty     Print filename of terminal on stdin
type     Describe a command

ulimit     Limit user resources
umask     Users file creation mask
umount     Unmount a device
unalias     Remove an alias
uname     Print system information
uname -a     OS and kernel version
uname -r     kernel version
unexpand     Convert spaces to tabs
uniq     Uniquify files
units     Convert units from one scale to another
unset     Remove variable or function names
unshar     Unpack shell archive scripts
until     Execute commands (until error)
update-menu     update gnome menu
useradd     Create new user account
usermod     Modify user account
users     List users currently logged in
uuencode     Encode a binary file 
uudecode     Decode a file created by uuencode

v     Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b')
vdir     Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b')
vi     Text Editor

watch     Execute/display a program periodically
wc     Print byte, word, and line counts
whereis     Report all known instances of a command
whereis program-name     location of program/man page
which <program name>     Locate a program's file path
while     Execute commands
who     Print all usernames currently logged in
whoami     Print the current user id and name (`id -un')
Wget     Retrieve web pages or files via HTTP, HTTPS or FTP

xargs     Execute utility, passing constructed argument list(s)
yes     Print a string until interrupted

.     Run a command script in the current shell
###     Comment / Remark

Re: CLI list of common and other commands

Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:20 am
by rich_roast
Nice reference, thanks!

Re: CLI list of common and other commands

Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:29 pm
by emorrp1
I would probably just say that there's two basic commands you need: apropos (for what command to use) and rtfm (for how to use it)

Re: CLI list of common and other commands

Posted: Mon Oct 19, 2009 5:12 pm
by DrHu
Lantesh wrote:Ok so I was bored this morning, and I thought I'd go through my notes and combine some of the different lists of various commands I've accumulated over the last couple of years
OK, but I also like the Internet for these types of lists

command line help..
http://gd.tuwien.ac.at/linuxcommand.org/index.php
http://www.pixelbeat.org/cmdline.html
http://www.linuxguide.it/linux_commands_line_en.htm
http://tldp.org/LDP/GNU-Linux-Tools-Sum ... index.html