List of unix commands Page

List of Unix Commands



Unix command

This is a list of Unix commands as specified by g>IEEE Std 1003.1-2008, which is part of the Single UNIX Specification (SUS). These commands can be found on Unix operating systems and most Unix-like operating systems such as Linux and FreeBSD.

List


{| class=" wikitable sortable"
|+ IEEE Std 1003.1-2008 utilities
|-
!style="width:5em;"| Name
!style="width:15em;"| Category
!style="width:15em;"| Status (Option code)
!style="width:30em"| Description
!style="width:5em;;"| First appeared
|-
| admin (Unix)|admin
| Source Code Control System|SCCS
| Optional (XSI)
| Create and administer Source Code Control System|SCCS files
| PWB UNIX
|-
| Alias (command)|alias
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Define or display aliases
|
|-
| ar (Unix)|ar
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Create and maintain Library (computing)|library archives
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| asa (Unix)|asa
| Text processing
| Optional (FR)
| Interpret carriage-control characters
| System V
|-
| at (command)|at
| Process management
| Mandatory
| Execute commands at a later time
| Version 7 AT&T UNIX
|-
| AWK|awk
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Pattern scanning and processing language
| Version 7 AT&T UNIX
|-
| basename
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Return non-directory portion of a pathname; see also dirname
| Version 7 AT&T UNIX
|-
| batch (Unix)|batch
| Process management
| Mandatory
| Schedule commands to be executed in a batch queue
|
|-
| bc (programming language)|bc
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Arbitrary-precision arithmetic language
| Version 6 AT&T UNIX
|-
| bg (Unix)|bg
| Process management
| Optional (UP)
| Run jobs in the background
|
|-
| C compiler|cc/c99
| C programming
| Optional (CD)
| compiler|Compile standard C (programming language)|C programs
| IEEE Std 1003.1-2001
|-
| cal (Unix)|cal
| Misc
| Optional (XSI)
| Print a calendar
| Version 5 AT&T UNIX
|-
| cat (Unix)|cat
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Concatenate and print files
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| cd (command)|cd
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Change the working directory
| Version 6 AT&T UNIX
|-
| cflow
| C programming
| Optional (XSI)
| Generate a C-language call graph
| System V
|-
| chgrp
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Change the file group ownership
| PWB UNIX
|-
| chmod
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Change the file modes/attributes/permissions
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| chown
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Change the file ownership
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| cksum
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Write file checksums and sizes
| 4.4BSD
|-
| cmp (Unix)|cmp
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Compare two files; see also diff
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| comm
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Select or reject lines common to two files
| Version 4 AT&T UNIX
|-
| command (Unix)|command
| Shell programming
| Mandatory
| Execute a simple command
|
|-
| compress
| Filesystem
| Optional (XSI)
| Compress data
| 4.3BSD
|-
| cp (Unix)|cp
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Copy files
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| crontab
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Schedule periodic background work
| System V
|-
| csplit
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Split files based on context
| PWB UNIX
|-
| ctags
| C programming
| Optional (SD)
| Create a tags file
| 3BSD
|-
| cut (Unix)|cut
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Cut out selected fields of each line of a file
| System III
|-
| cxref
| C programming
| Optional (XSI)
| Generate a C (programming language)|C-language program cross-reference table
| System V
|-
| Unix time#Command line|date
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Display the date and time
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| dd (Unix)|dd
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Convert and copy a file
| Version 5 AT&T UNIX
|-
| delta (Unix)|delta
| SCCS
| Optional (XSI)
| Make a delta (change) to an SCCS file
| PWB UNIX
|-
| df (Unix)|df
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Report free disk space
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| diff
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Compare two files; see also cmp
| Version 5 AT&T UNIX
|-
| dirname
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Return the directory portion of a pathname; see also basename
| System III
|-
| du (Unix)|du
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Estimate file space usage
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| echo (command)|echo
| Shell programming
| Mandatory
| Write arguments to standard output
| Version 2 AT&T UNIX
|-
| ed (text editor)|ed
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| The standard text editor
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| env (shell)|env
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Set the environment for command invocation
| System III
|-
| ex (editor)|ex
| Text processing
| Optional (XSI)
| Text editor
| 1BSD
|-
| expand (Unix)|expand
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Convert tabs to spaces
| 3BSD
|-
| expr
| Shell programming
| Mandatory
| Evaluate arguments as an expression
| Version 7 AT&T UNIX
|-
| false (Unix)|false
| Shell programming
| Mandatory
| Return false value
| Version 7 AT&T UNIX
|-
| fc (Unix)|fc
| Misc
| Optional (UP)
| Process the command history list
|
|-
| fg (Unix)|fg
| Process management
| Optional (UP)
| Run jobs in the foreground
|
|-
| file (command)|file
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Determine file type
| Version 4 AT&T UNIX
|-
| Find (Unix)|find
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Find files
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| fold (Unix)|fold
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Filter for folding lines
| 1BSD
|-
| fort77
| FORTRAN77 programming
| Obsolescent (FD)
| FORTRAN compiler
| XPG4
|-
| fuser (Unix)|fuser
| Process management
| Optional (XSI)
| List Process identifier|process IDs of all processes that have one or more files open
| System V
|-
| gencat
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Generate a formatted message catalog
|
|-
| get (Unix)|get
| SCCS
| Optional (XSI)
| Get a version of an SCCS file
| PWB UNIX
|-
| getconf
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Get configuration values
|
|-
| getopts
| Shell programming
| Mandatory
| Parse utility options
|
|-
| grep
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Search text for a pattern
| Version 4 AT&T UNIX
|-
| hash (Unix)|hash
| Misc
| Mandatory
| hash database access method
|
|-
| head (Unix)|head
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Copy the first part of files
| PWB UNIX{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}
|-
| iconv
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Codeset conversion
| HP-UX
|-
| id (Unix)|id
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Return user identity
| System V
|-
| ipcrm
| Misc
| Optional (XSI)
| Remove a message queue, semaphore set, or shared memory segment identifier
| System V
|-
| ipcs
| Misc
| Optional (XSI)
| Report interprocess communication facilities status
| System V
|-
| jobs (Unix)|jobs
| Process management
| Optional (UP)
| Display status of jobs in the current session
|
|-
| join (Unix)|join
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Merges two sorted text files based on the presence of a common field
| Version 7 AT&T UNIX
|-
| kill (command)|kill
| Process management
| Mandatory
| Terminate or signal processes
| Version 4 AT&T UNIX
|-
| lex programming tool|lex
| C programming
| Optional (CD)
| Generate programs for Lexical analyzer|lexical tasks
| Version 7 AT&T UNIX
|-
| link (Unix)|link
| Filesystem
| Optional (XSI)
| Create a hard link to a file
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| ln (Unix)|ln
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Link files
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| Locale (Unix command)|locale
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Get locale-specific information
|
|-
| localedef
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Define locale environment
|
|-
| logger (Unix)|logger
| Shell programming
| Mandatory
| Log messages
| 4.3BSD
|-
| logname
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Return the user's login name
| 4.4BSD
|-
| lp (Unix)|lp
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Send files to a printer
| System V
|-
| ls
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| List directory contents
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| M4 (computer language)|m4
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Macro processor
| PWB UNIX
|-
| mailx
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Process messages
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| make (software)|make
| Programming
| Optional (SD)
| Maintain, update, and regenerate groups of programs
| PWB UNIX
|-
| man page|man
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Display system documentation
| Version 2 AT&T UNIX
|-
| mesg
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Permit or deny messages
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| mkdir
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Make directories
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| mkfifo
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Make FIFO (computing and electronics)|FIFO special files
| 4.4BSD{{dubious|mkfifo|date=April 2014}}
|-
| more (command)|more
| Text processing
| Optional (UP)
| Display files on a page-by-page basis
| 3BSD
|-
| mv
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Move or rename files
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| newgrp
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Change to a new group (functionaliy similar to sg
{{cite book
| last = Stanfield
| first = Vicki
| others = Roderick W. Smith
| title = Linux System Administration
| url = https://books.google.com/books?id=97nhEE7uqV0C
| accessdate = 2012-11-27
| edition = 2
| series = Craig Hunt Linux Library
| year = 2006
| publisher = John Wiley & Sons
| isbn = 9780782152203
| page = 152
| quote = The command sg is frequently a synonym for newgrp.
}}
)
| Version 6 AT&T UNIX
|-
| nice (Unix)|nice
| Process management
| Mandatory
| Invoke a utility with an altered nice value
| Version 4 AT&T UNIX
|-
| nl (Unix)|nl
| Text processing
| Optional (XSI)
| Line numbering filter
| System III
|-
| nm (Unix)|nm
| C programming
| Optional (SD, XSI)
| Write the name list of an object file
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| nohup
| Process management
| Mandatory
| Invoke a utility immune to SIGHUP|hangups
| Version 4 AT&T UNIX
|-
| od (Unix)|od
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Dump files in various formats
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| paste (Unix)|paste
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Merge corresponding or subsequent lines of files
| Version 32V AT&T UNIX
|-
| patch (Unix)|patch
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Apply changes to files
| 4.3BSD
|-
| pathchk
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Check pathnames
|
|-
| pax (Unix)|pax
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Portable archive interchange
| 4.4BSD{{cn|date=December 2014}}
|-
| pr (Unix)|pr
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Print files
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| printf (Unix)|printf
| Shell programming
| Mandatory
| Write formatted output
| 4.3BSD-Reno
|-
| prs
| SCCS
| Optional (XSI)
| Print an SCCS file
| PWB UNIX
|-
| ps (Unix)|ps
| Process management
| Mandatory
| Report process status
| Version 4 AT&T UNIX
|-
| pwd
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| present working directory - Return working directory name
| Version 5 AT&T UNIX
|-
| qalter
| Batch utilities
| Obsolescent (BE)
| Alter batch job
|
|-
| qdel
| Batch utilities
| Obsolescent (BE)
| Delete batch jobs
|
|-
| qhold
| Batch utilities
| Obsolescent (BE)
| Hold batch jobs
|
|-
| qmove
| Batch utilities
| Obsolescent (BE)
| Move batch jobs
|
|-
| qmsg
| Batch utilities
| Obsolescent (BE)
| Send message to batch jobs
|
|-
| qrerun
| Batch utilities
| Obsolescent (BE)
| Rerun batch jobs
|
|-
| qrls
| Batch utilities
| Obsolescent (BE)
| Release batch jobs
|
|-
| qselect
| Batch utilities
| Obsolescent (BE)
| Select batch jobs
|
|-
| qsig
| Batch utilities
| Obsolescent (BE)
| Signal batch jobs
|
|-
| qstat (Unix)|qstat
| Batch utilities
| Obsolescent (BE)
| Show status of batch jobs
|
|-
| qsub
| Batch utilities
| Obsolescent (BE)
| Submit a script
|
|-
| read (Unix)|read
| Shell programming
| Mandatory
| Read a line from standard input
|
|-
| renice
| Process management
| Mandatory
| Set nice values of running processes
| 4BSD
|-
| rm (Unix)|rm
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Remove directory entries
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| rmdel
| SCCS
| Optional (XSI)
| Remove a delta from an SCCS file
| PWB UNIX
|-
| rmdir
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Remove directories, if they are empty.
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| sact (Unix)|sact
| SCCS
| Optional (XSI)
| Print current SCCS file-editing activity
| System III
|-
| Source Code Control System|sccs
| Source Code Control System|SCCS
| Optional (XSI)
| Front end for the SCCS subsystem
| 4.3BSD
|-
| sed
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Stream editor
| Version 7 AT&T UNIX
|-
| Bourne shell|sh
| Shell programming
| Mandatory
| Unix shell|Shell, the standard command language interpreter
| Version 7 AT&T UNIX (in earlier versions, sh was either the Thompson shell or the PWB shell)
|-
| sleep (command)|sleep
| Shell programming
| Mandatory
| Suspend execution for an interval
| Version 4 AT&T UNIX
|-
| sort (Unix)|sort
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Sort, merge, or sequence check text files
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| split (Unix)|split
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Split files into pieces
| Version 3 AT&T UNIX
|-
| strings (Unix)|strings
| C programming
| Mandatory
| Find printable strings in files
| 2BSD
|-
| strip (Unix)|strip
| C programming
| Optional (SD)
| Remove unnecessary information from executable files
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| stty
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Set the options for a terminal
| Version 2 AT&T UNIX
|-
| tabs (Unix)|tabs
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Set terminal tabs
| PWB UNIX
|-
| tail (Unix)|tail
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Copy the last part of a file
| PWB UNIX{{Citation needed|date=May 2009}}
|-
| talk (software)|talk
| Misc
| Optional (UP)
| Talk to another user
| 4.2BSD
|-
| tee (command)|tee
| Shell programming
| Mandatory
| Duplicate the Standard streams|standard output
| Version 5 AT&T UNIX
|-
| test (Unix)|test
| Shell programming
| Mandatory
| Evaluate expression (computer science)|expression
| Version 7 AT&T UNIX
|-
| time (Unix)|time
| Process management
| Mandatory
| Time a simple command
| Version 3 AT&T UNIX
|-
| touch (Unix)|touch
| Filesystem
| Mandatory
| Change file access and modification times
| Version 7 AT&T UNIX
|-
| tput
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Change Computer terminal|terminal characteristics
| System V
|-
| tr (Unix)|tr
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Translate characters
| Version 4 AT&T UNIX
|-
| true (Unix)|true
| Shell programming
| Mandatory
| Return true value
| Version 7 AT&T UNIX
|-
| tsort (Unix)|tsort
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Topological sort
| Version 7 AT&T UNIX
|-
| Tty (unix)|tty
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Return user's Computer terminal|terminal name
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| type (Unix)|type
| Misc
| Optional (XSI)
| Displays how a name would be interpreted if used as a command
|
|-
| ulimit
| Misc
| Optional (XSI)
| Set or report file size limit
|
|-
| umask
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Get or set the file mode creation mask
| System III
|-
| unalias
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Remove alias definitions
|
|-
| uname
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Return system name
| PWB UNIX
|-
| uncompress
| Misc
| Optional (XSI)
| Expand compressed data
| 4.3BSD
|-
| unexpand
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Convert spaces to tabs
| 3BSD
|-
| unget
| SCCS
| Optional (XSI)
| Undo a previous get of an SCCS file
| System III
|-
| uniq
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Report or filter out repeated lines in a file
| Version 3 AT&T UNIX
|-
| unlink (Unix)|unlink
| Filesystem
| Optional (XSI)
| Call the unlink function
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| uucp
| Network
| Optional (UU)
| System-to-system copy
| Version 7 AT&T UNIX
|-
| uudecode
| Network
| Mandatory
| Decode a binary file
| 4BSD
|-
| uuencode
| Network
| Mandatory
| Encode a binary file
| 4BSD
|-
| uustat
| Network
| Optional (UU)
| uucp status inquiry and job control
| System III
|-
| uux (Unix)|uux
| Process management
| Optional (UU)
| Remote command execution
| Version 7 AT&T UNIX
|-
| val (Unix)|val
| SCCS
| Optional (XSI)
| Validate SCCS files
| System III
|-
| vi
| Text processing
| Optional (UP)
| Screen-oriented (visual) display editor
| 1BSD
|-
| wait (command)|wait
| Process management
| Mandatory
| Await process completion
| Version 4 AT&T UNIX
|-
| wc (Unix)|wc
| Text processing
| Mandatory
| Line, word and byte or character count
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| what
| Source Code Control System|SCCS
| Optional (XSI)
| Identify SCCS files
| PWB UNIX
|-
| who (Unix)|who
| System administration
| Mandatory
| Display who is on the system
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| write (Unix)|write
| Misc
| Mandatory
| Write to another user's terminal
| Version 1 AT&T UNIX
|-
| xargs
| Shell programming
| Mandatory
| Construct argument lists and invoke utility
| PWB UNIX
|-
| yacc
| C programming
| Optional (CD)
| Yet another compiler compiler
| PWB UNIX
|-
| zcat
| Text processing
| Optional (XSI)
| Expand and concatenate data
| 4.3BSD
|-
|}

See also


* List of GNU Core Utilities commands
* List of GNOME applications
* List of GNU packages
* List of KDE applications
* List of Unix daemons
* List of web browsers for Unix and Unix-like operating systems
* Unix philosophy
* util-linux

Footnotes


{{Reflist}}

External links


{{wikibooks|Guide to UNIX|Commands}}
{{Commons category|Unix cheatsheets}}
* [http://opengroup.org/onlinepubs/000095399/ IEEE Std 1003.1,2004 specifications]
* [http://opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9699919799/ IEEE Std 1003.1,2008 specifications]
* [http://bhami.com/rosetta.html Rosetta Stone For *Nix] – configurable list of equivalent programs for *nix systems.
* [http://roesler-ac.de/wolfram/acro/index.htm The Unix Acronym List] – explains the names of many Unix commands.
* [http://unix.org/ The UNIX System Homepage]


* wp>Category:Lists of software
* wp>Category:System administration
* wp>Category:Unix SUS2008 utilities|



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