Summary

This is a collection of commands and facilities which occasional Unix users (eg Web site owners) use and need.

In the formal descriptions of commands, bold type means the keyword or value described is compulsory; normal type means it is optional; and slanted type means that the mnemonic must be replaced by an appropriate value. Ellipsis (…) means the preceding item is repeatable.

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Whole document

  1. Using Unix
  2. Getting access
  3. Navigation
  4. File management
  5. Account management
Table of Contents
ToC

ToCGlossary of terms

application

A program run by computer users that is not part of the operating system. Typical applications are wordprocessors, spreadsheets, databases, and web browsers.

hostname

The name of the computer you log into. If the system is your own desktop computer, you will have named the computer yourself when you set it up.

operating system

The internal programs which make a computer run, before you start adding applications. Common operating systems are Unix, GNU/Linux, Apple Macintosh OS X, and Microsoft Windows.

password

The secret code that you give after your username, which allows you access to the system. You must never tell anyone your password, nor write it down. Memorise it.

path

The route from one directory or file to another in a hierarchical file system (applies to all modern computers including Windows and Macs, not just Unix). There are two forms of path, absolute and relative:

absolute

An absolute path always starts at the root directory (the top of the ‘tree’), so it always begins with a slash, no matter what your current directory is.

relative

A relative path always starts at your current working directory, so it never begins with a slash.

root

1. The ‘top’ of a file system, with all other directories contained within it. The only directory that does not have another directory above it.

2. The administration account of a Unix system, with permissions above those of a normal user (hence the alternative term ‘superuser’).

username

The name of your Unix account: the name you log in with. You get this from your system's administrator. If the system is your own desktop computer, you will have created this yourself when you set up the system.

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Electronic Publishing Unit • 2008-11-19 • (other)