file=linux_commands.

htm; updated 5/8/2008

HELPFUL LINUX COMMANDS

 

man <keyword> help screen for <keyword> 

example:  man ps 
  will display help about the ps command

env display environment variables

mkdir <directory> make <directory> 
example:  mkdir archives 
  will create a subdirectory named archives.

cp f1 f2 copy file f1 to file f2 

example:  cp init.ora  /a01/student/user100/initUSER100.ora 
  will copy the file named init.ora from the current subdirectory to the 
  subdirectory and filename initUSER100.ora given in the command.

mv f1 f2  move file f1 to file f2 

example:  mv init.ora  /a01/student/user100/initUSER100.ora 
  will move the file named init.ora from the current subdirectory to the 
subdirectory and filename initUSER100.ora given in the command.

rm <filename> remove <file> (like deleting) 

example:  rm junkfile.lst 
  will delete the file named junkfile.lst on the current subdirectory.

cat <file> type contents of <file> to the screen for display 

example:  cat login.sql 
  will display the contents of the file named login.sql.

more <file> type contents of <file>; pause at pages 

example:  more login.sql 
  will display the contents of the file named login.sql and will pause the
display each time the screen fills with data.

pg <file> same as more but on at&t unix (sys v)

will display all processes running on the server 

ps -ef 
example:  ps -ef

ps  -ef | grep oracle will display processes running on the server that are associated with a
specific system user.  Note the use of the | "pipe" symbol. 
example:  ps -ef | grep oracle 
  will display all processes running that are associated with with the
 user or software named oracle

ps  -ef | more will display all processes running (yours and those belonging to other
users) and will pause the display each time the screen fills with data. 
extended example:  ps - ef | grep oracle | more 
  will display all processes associated with oracle and will pause the
screen each time it fills with data.

kill -9 PID  command used to terminate a process (identified by the process id -

killl -9 1359 PID), here the process number is 1359.  The process number is
determined by using the ps -ef command to display processes that are
running (look under the PID column of data that is displayed by the ps -
ef command.

chmod 777 * sets access rights to every file or subdirectory in a directory. 

example:  chmod 777 systemUSER150.dbf 
  will set the permission levels to read/write/execute for the owner (first
digit), group (second digit), and world (3rd digit) for the file
namedsystemUSER150.dbf.  
another example:  chmod 750 systemUSER150.dbf 
  will set the permission levels to r/w/e for the owner, r/w/- for the group
and -/-/- for the world.

you select the appropriate code for read/write/execute combinations.

ls -l lists files & security status, but does not list hidden files.

ls -a shows hidden files.

ls -al lists files and security status for all files.

pwd print working directory.  prints the disk drive and subdirectory of the

current working directory.

cd ..  (cd space dot dot) changes directory; here the dot dot entry will

backup to a higher point in a directory tree.

cd /u01/newhome change to the /u01/newhome disk drive and directory. 

cd $home change directory to your home directory as defined in your .profilefile.

TERM=vt100;export will change the terminal emulation to the vt100 emulation and

TERM  theexport TERM command will reset the value of the TERM
  environment variable.  Note that the command is case-sensitive.

ORACLE_SID=user150  will change the value of the ORACLE_SID to user150, and the export
export ORACLE_SID ORACLE_SID will reset the value of this environment variable.