{{include tonguesBashCommands}} [[HomePage]] > [[ComponentHowTo Components and HowTos]] > [[CommandLine]] ====An A-Z Index of the Linux BASH command line==== ~||{background:yellow}This is a list of the commands used in the [[Bash Bash shell]]. Puppy uses the [[Ash Ash shell]] up to v 1.0.2 which does not contain all of these commands. From version 1.0.3 (June 2005) these Bash commands are available.|| ~if you add **SHELL=/bin/bash** to **/etc/profile**, rxvt and aterm will run bash automatically ~**alias :** Create an alias ~**[[awk]] :** Find and Replace text within file(s) ~**break :** Exit from a loop ~**builtin :** Run a shell builtin ~**cal :** Display a calendar ~**case :** Conditionally perform a command ~**cat :** Display the contents of a file ~**cd :** Change Directory ~**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 ~**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 ~**date :** Display or change the date & time ~**dc :** Desk Calculator ~**dd :** Data Dump - Convert and copy a file ~**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 ~**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 ~**du :** Estimate file space usage ~**echo :** Display message on screen ~**ed :** A line-oriented text editor (edlin) ~**egrep :** Search file(s) for lines that match an extended expression ~**eject :** Eject CD-ROM ~**enable :** Enable and disable builtin shell commands ~**env :** Display, set, or remove environment variables ~**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 ~**factor :** Print prime factors ~**false :** Do nothing, unsuccessfully ~**fdformat :** Low-level format a floppy disk ~**fdisk :** Partition table manipulator for Linux ~**fgrep :** Search file(s) for lines that match a fixed string ~**[[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]] :** Filesystem consistency check and repair. ~**function :** Define Function Macros ~**gawk :** Find and Replace text within file(s) ~**getopts :** Parse positional parameters ~**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 ~**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 ~**import :** Capture an X server screen and save the image to file ~**info :** Help info ~**install :** Copy files and set attributes ~**join :** Join lines on a common field ~**kill :** Stop a process from running ~**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 ~**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) ~**m4 :** Macro processor ~**man :** Help manual ~**mkdir :** Create new folder(s) ~**mkfifo :** Make FIFOs (named pipes) ~**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 ~**nice :** Set the priority of a command or job ~**nl :** Number lines and write files ~**nohup :** Run a command immune to hangups ~**passwd :** Modify a user password ~**paste :** Merge lines of files ~**pathchk :** Check file name portability ~**popd :** Restore the previous value of the current directory ~**pr :** Convert text 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 ~**rmdir :** Remove folder(s) ~**rpm :** Remote Package Manager ~**[[rsync]] :** Remote file copy (Synchronize file trees) ~**screen :** Terminal window manager ~**sdiff :** Merge two files interactively ~**sed :** Stream Editor ~**select :** Accept keyboard input ~**seq :** Print numeric sequences ~**set :** Manipulate shell variables and functions ~**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 ~**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 ~**tac :** Concatenate and write files in reverse ~**tail :** Output the last part of files ~**tar :** Tape ARchiver ~**tee :** Redirect output to multiple files ~**test :** Evaluate a conditional expression ~**time :** Measure Program Resource Use ~**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 ~**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) ~**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') ~**watch :** Execute/display a program periodically ~**wc :** Print byte, word, and line counts ~**whereis :** Report all known instances of a command ~**which :** Locate a program file in the user's path. ~**while :** Execute commands ~**who :** Print all usernames currently logged in ~**whoami :** Print the current user id and name (`id -un') ~**xargs :** Execute utility, passing constructed argument list(s) ~**yes :** Print a string until interrupted ==Using commands== ~~**. :** Period, Run commands from a file ~~**# :** Comment / Remark ~**Shell scripts** ~~start with: ~~###!/bin/sh## ~~open xterminal (rxvt) and run console program (midnight commander) ~~xterm -e mc ~Bash can process command lines in sophisticated ways, doing complex string substitution etc. ==Also on the Wiki== ~[[Shell Shells]] ~[[Sh]] ~[[Ash]] ~[[AshCommands]] ~[[Bash]] ~[[BashQuickTips]] ~[[BashDiff]] ==Related Webpages== ~[[http://ss64.com/bash/ A to Z of Bash commands]] ---- ==Categories== CategoryCommandLine CategoryTutorial