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Linux command line: bash + utilities

A


&Start a new process in the background

aliasCreate an alias •

aproposSearch Help manual pages (man -k)

aptSearch for and install software packages (Debian/Ubuntu)

apt-getSearch for and install software packages (Debian/Ubuntu)

aptitudeSearch for and install software packages (Debian/Ubuntu)

aspellSpell Checker

atSchedule a command to run once at a particular time

awkFind and Replace text, database sort/validate/index
B


basenameStrip directory and suffix from filenames

base32Base32 encode/decode data and print to standard output

base64Base64 encode/decode data and print to standard output

bashGNU Bourne-Again SHell

bcArbitrary precision calculator language

bgSend to background

bindSet or display readline key and function bindings •

breakExit from a loop •

builtinRun a shell builtin

bzip2Compress or decompress named file(s)
C


calDisplay a calendar

callerReturn the context of any active subroutine call •

caseConditionally perform a command

catConcatenate and print (display) the content of files

cdChange Directory

cfdiskPartition table manipulator for Linux

chattrChange file attributes on a Linux file system

chgrpChange group ownership

chmodChange access permissions

chownChange file owner and group

chpasswdUpdate passwords in batch mode

chrootRun a command with a different root directory

chkconfigSystem services (runlevel)

cksumPrint CRC checksum and byte counts

clearClear terminal screen

cmpCompare two files

commCompare two sorted files line by line

commandRun a command - ignoring shell functions •

continueResume the next iteration of a loop •

cpCopy one or more files to another location

cpioCopy files to and from archives

cronDaemon to execute scheduled commands

crontabSchedule a command to run at a later time

csplitSplit a file into context-determined pieces

curlTransfer data from or to a server

cutDivide a file into several parts
D


dateDisplay or change the date & time

dcDesk Calculator

ddData Duplicator - convert and copy a file, write disk headers, boot records

ddrescueData recovery tool

declareDeclare variables and give them attributes •

dfDisplay free disk space

diffDisplay the differences between two files

diff3Show differences among three files

digDNS lookup

dirBriefly list directory contents

dircolorsColour setup for 'ls'

dirnameConvert a full pathname to just a path

dirsDisplay list of remembered directories

dos2unixWindows/MAC to UNIX text file format converter

dmesgPrint kernel & driver messages

dpkgPackage manager (Debian/Ubuntu).

duEstimate file space usage
E


echoDisplay message on screen •

egrepSearch file(s) for lines that match an extended expression

ejectEject removable media

enableEnable and disable builtin shell commands •

envEnvironment variables

ethtoolEthernet card settings

evalEvaluate several commands/arguments

execExecute a command

exitExit the shell

expandConvert tabs to spaces

exportSet an environment variable

exprEvaluate expressions
F


falseDo nothing, unsuccessfully

fdformatLow-level format a floppy disk

fdiskPartition table manipulator for Linux

fgSend job to foreground

fgrepSearch file(s) for lines that match a fixed string

fileDetermine file type

findSearch for files that meet a desired criteria

fmtReformat paragraph text

foldWrap text to fit a specified width

forExpand words, and execute commands

formatFormat disks or tapes

freeDisplay memory usage

fsckFile system consistency check and repair

ftpFile Transfer Protocol

functionDefine Function Macros

fuserIdentify/kill the process that is accessing a file
G


gawkFind and Replace text within file(s)

getoptsParse positional parameters

getfaclGet file access control lists

grepSearch file(s) for lines that match a given pattern

groupaddAdd a user security group

groupdelDelete a group

groupmodModify a group

groupsPrint group names a user is in

gzipCompress or decompress named file(s)
H


hashRemember the full pathname of a name argument

headOutput the first part of file(s)

helpDisplay help for a built-in command •

historyCommand History

hostnamePrint or set system name

htopInteractive process viewer
I


iconvConvert the character set of a file

idPrint user and group id's

ifConditionally perform a command

ifconfigConfigure a network interface

ifdownStop a network interface

ifupStart a network interface up

importCapture an X server screen and save the image to file

installCopy files and set attributes

iostatReport CPU and i/o statistics

ipRouting, devices and tunnels
J


jobsList active jobs •

joinJoin lines on a common field
K


killKill a process by specifying its PID

killallKill processes by name

klistList cached Kerberos tickets
L


lessDisplay output one screen at a time

letPerform arithmetic on shell variables •

linkCreate a link to a file

lnCreate a symbolic link to a file

localCreate a function variable •

locateFind files

lognamePrint current login name

logoutExit a login shell •

lookDisplay lines beginning with a given string

lpcLine printer control program

lprPrint files

lprintPrint a file

lprintdDelete a print job

lprintqList the print queue

lprmRemove jobs from the print queue

lsattrList file attributes on a Linux second extended file system

lsblkList block devices

lsList information about file(s)

lsofList open files

lspciList all PCI devices
M


makeRecompile a group of programs

manHelp manual

mapfileRead lines from standard input into an indexed array variable •

mkdirCreate new folder(s)

mkfifoMake FIFOs (named pipes)

mkfileMake a file

mkisofsCreate a hybrid ISO9660/JOLIET/HFS filesystem

mknodMake block or character special files

mktempMake a temporary file

moreDisplay output one screen at a time

mostBrowse or page through a text file

mountMount a file system

mtoolsManipulate MS-DOS files

mtrNetwork diagnostics (traceroute/ping)

mvMove or rename files or directories

mmvMass Move and rename (files)
N


ncNetcat, read and write data across networks

netstatNetworking connections/stats

nftnftables for packet filtering and classification

niceSet the priority of a command or job

nlNumber lines and write files

nohupRun a command immune to hangups

notify-sendSend desktop notifications

nslookupQuery Internet name servers interactively
O


openOpen a file in its default application

opOperator access
P


passwdModify a user password

pasteMerge lines of files

pathchkCheck file name portability

PerfPerformance analysis tools for Linux

pingTest a network connection

pgrepList processes by name

pkillKill processes by name

popdRestore the previous value of the current directory

prPrepare files for printing

printcapPrinter capability database

printenvPrint environment variables

printfFormat and print data •

psProcess status

pushdSave and then change the current directory

pvMonitor the progress of data through a pipe

pwdPrint Working Directory
Q


quotaDisplay disk usage and limits

quotacheckScan a file system for disk usage
R


ramram disk device

rarArchive files with compression

rcpCopy files between two machines

readRead a line from standard input •

readarrayRead from stdin into an array variable •

readonlyMark variables/functions as readonly

rebootReboot the system

renameRename files

reniceAlter priority of running processes

remsyncSynchronize remote files via email

returnExit a shell function

revReverse lines of a file

rmRemove files

rmdirRemove folder(s)

rsyncRemote file copy (Synchronize file trees)
S


screenMultiplex terminal, run remote shells via ssh

scpSecure copy (remote file copy)

sdiffMerge two files interactively

sedStream Editor

selectAccept user choices via keyboard input

seqPrint numeric sequences

setManipulate shell variables and functions

setfaclSet file access control lists.

sftpSecure File Transfer Program

sha256sumCompute and check SHA256 (256-bit) checksums

shiftShift positional parameters

shoptShell Options

shufGenerate random permutations

shutdownShutdown or restart linux

sleepDelay for a specified time

slocateFind files

sortSort text files

sourceRun commands from a file '.'  •

splitSplit a file into fixed-size pieces

ssSocket Statistics

sshSecure Shell client (remote login program)

statDisplay file or file system status

straceTrace system calls and signals

suSubstitute user identity

sudoExecute a command as another user

sumPrint a checksum for a file

suspendSuspend execution of this shell •

syncSynchronize data on disk with memory
T


tailOutput the last part of a file

tarStore, list or extract files in an archive

teeRedirect output to multiple files

testEvaluate a conditional expression

timeMeasure Program running time

timeoutRun a command with a time limit

timesUser and system times

tmuxTerminal multiplexer

touchChange file timestamps

topList processes running on the system

tputSet terminal-dependent capabilities, color, position

tracerouteTrace Route to Host

trapExecute a command when the shell receives a signal •

trTranslate, squeeze, and/or delete characters

trueDo nothing, successfully

tsortTopological sort

ttyPrint filename of terminal on stdin

typeDescribe a command •
U


ulimitLimit user resources •

umaskUsers file creation mask

umountUnmount a device

unaliasRemove an alias •

unamePrint system information

unexpandConvert spaces to tabs

uniqUniquify files

unitsConvert units from one scale to another

unix2dosUNIX to Windows or MAC text file format converter

unrarExtract files from a rar archive

unsetRemove variable or function names

unsharUnpack shell archive scripts

untilExecute commands (until error)

uptimeShow uptime

useraddCreate new user account

userdelDelete a user account

usermodModify user account

usersList users currently logged in

uuencodeEncode a binary file

uudecodeDecode a file created by uuencode
V


vVerbosely list directory contents ('ls -l -b')

vdirVerbosely list directory contents ('ls -l -b')

viText Editor

vmstatReport virtual memory statistics
W


wShow who is logged on and what they are doing

waitWait for a process to complete •

watchExecute/display a program periodically

wcPrint byte, word, and line counts

whereisSearch the user's $path, man pages and source files for a program

whichSearch the user's $path for a program file

whileExecute commands

whoPrint all usernames currently logged in

whoamiPrint the current user id and name ('id -un')

wgetRetrieve web pages or files via HTTP, HTTPS or FTP

writeSend a message to another user
X


xargsExecute utility, passing constructed argument list(s)

xdg-openOpen a file or URL in the user's preferred application.

xxdMake a hexdump or do the reverse

xzCompress or decompress .xz and .lzma files

yesPrint a string until interrupted

zipPackage and compress (archive) files

.Run a command script in the current shell

!!Run the last command again

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