Commands / Utilities

A


  alias         - Create an alias •
  apropos       - Search Help manual pages (man -k)
  apt-get       - Search for and install software packages (Debian/Ubuntu)
  aptitude      - Search for and install software packages (Debian/Ubuntu)
  aspell        - Spell Checker
  awk           - Find and Replace text, database sort/validate/index


B


  basename      - Strip directory and suffix from filenames
  bash          - GNU Bourne-Again SHell
  bc            - Arbitrary precision calculator language
  bg            - Send to background
  break         - Exit from a loop •
  builtin       - Run a shell builtin
  bzip2         - Compress or decompress named file(s)


C


  cal           - Display a calendar
  case          - Conditionally perform a command
  cat           - Concatenate and print (display) the content of files
  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
  chkconfig     - System services (runlevel)
  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 •
  cp            - Copy one or more files to another location
  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

 

D


  date          - Display or change the date & time
  dc            - Desk Calculator
  dd            - Convert and copy a file, write disk headers, boot records
  ddrescue      - Data recovery tool
  declare       - Declare variables and give them attributes •
  df            - Display free disk space
  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
  dmesg         - Print kernel & driver messages
  du            - Estimate file space usage

 

E


  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
  ethtool       - Ethernet card settings
  eval          - Evaluate several commands/arguments
  exec          - Execute a command
  exit          - Exit the shell
  expect        - Automate arbitrary applications accessed over a terminal
  expand        - Convert tabs to spaces
  export        - Set an environment variable
  expr          - Evaluate expressions

 

F


  false         - Do nothing, unsuccessfully
  fdformat      - Low-level format a floppy disk
  fdisk         - Partition table manipulator for Linux
  fg            - Send job to foreground
  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
  fsck          - File system consistency check and repair
  ftp           - File Transfer Protocol
  function      - Define Function Macros
  fuser         - Identify/kill the process that is accessing a file

 

G


  gawk          - Find and Replace text within file(s)
  getopts       - Parse positional parameters
  grep          - Search file(s) for lines that match a given pattern
  groupadd      - Add a user security group
  groupdel      - Delete a group
  groupmod      - Modify a group
  groups        - Print group names a user is in
  gzip          - Compress or decompress named file(s)

 

H


  hash          - Remember the full pathname of a name argument
  head          - Output the first part of file(s)
  help          - Display help for a built-in command •
  history       - Command History
  hostname      - Print or set system name

 

I


  iconv         - Convert the character set of a file
  id            - Print user and group id's
  if            - Conditionally perform a command
  ifconfig      - Configure a network interface
  ifdown        - Stop a network interface
  ifup          - Start a network interface up
  import        - Capture an X server screen and save the image to file
  install       - Copy files and set attributes

 

J


  jobs          - List active jobs •
  join          - Join lines on a common field

 

K


  kill          - Stop a process from running
  killall       - Kill processes by name

 

L


  less          - Display output one screen at a time
  let           - Perform arithmetic on shell variables •
  link          - Create a link to a file
  ln            - Create a symbolic link to a file
  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 information about file(s)
  lsof          - List open files

 

M


  make          - Recompile a group of programs
  man           - Help manual
  mkdir         - Create new folder(s)
  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
  mtr           - Network diagnostics (traceroute/ping)
  mv            - Move or rename files or directories
  mmv           - Mass Move and rename (files)

 

N


  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
  notify-send   - Send desktop notifications
  nslookup      - Query Internet name servers interactively

 

O


  open          - Open a file in its default application
  op            - Operator access

 

P


  passwd        - Modify a user password
  paste         - Merge lines of files
  pathchk       - Check file name portability
  ping          - Test a network connection
  pkill         - Stop processes from running
  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
  pv            - Monitor the progress of data through a pipe
  pwd           - Print Working Directory

 

Q


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

 

R


  ram           - ram disk device
  rcp           - Copy files between two machines
  read          - Read a line from standard input •
  readarray     - Read from stdin into an array variable •
  readonly      - Mark variables/functions as readonly
  reboot        - Reboot the system
  rename        - Rename files
  renice        - Alter priority of running processes
  remsync       - Synchronize remote files via email
  return        - Exit a shell function
  rev           - Reverse lines of a file
  rm            - Remove files
  rmdir         - Remove folder(s)
  rsync         - Remote file copy (Synchronize file trees)

 

S


  screen        - Multiplex terminal, run remote shells via ssh
  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
  slocate       - Find files
  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
  sudo          - Execute a command as another user
  sum           - Print a checksum for a file
  suspend       - Suspend execution of this shell •
  sync          - Synchronize data on disk with memory

 

T


  tail          - Output the last part of file
  tar           - Store, list or extract files in an archive
  tee           - Redirect output to multiple files
  test          - Evaluate a conditional expression
  time          - Measure Program running time
  timeout       - Run a command with a time limit
  times         - User and system times
  touch         - Change file timestamps
  top           - List processes 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 •

 

U


  ulimit        - Limit user resources •
  umask         - Users file creation mask
  umount        - Unmount a device
  unalias       - Remove an alias •
  uname         - Print system information
  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)
  uptime        - Show uptime
  useradd       - Create new user account
  userdel       - Delete a 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


  v             - Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b')
  vdir          - Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b')
  vi            - Text Editor
  vmstat        - Report virtual memory statistics

 

W


  wait          - Wait for a process to complete •
  watch         - Execute/display a program periodically
  wc            - Print byte, word, and line counts
  whereis       - Search the user's $path, man pages and source files for a program
  which         - Search the user's $path for a program file
  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
  write         - Send a message to another user

 

X


  xargs         - Execute utility, passing constructed argument list(s)
  xdg-open      - Open a file or URL in the user's preferred application.
 

 

Y


  yes           - Print a string until interrupted

 

Z


  zip           - Package and compress (archive) files.


Other

  .             - Run a command script in the current shell
  !!            - Run the last command again
  ###           - Comment / Remark