117 lines
6.5 KiB
HTML
117 lines
6.5 KiB
HTML
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<!Converted with LaTeX2HTML 95.1 (Fri Jan 20 1995) by Nikos Drakos (nikos@cbl.leeds.ac.uk), CBLU, University of Leeds >
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<TITLE>1.4.1 Basic commands and utilities</TITLE>
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<BR> <HR><A NAME=tex2html1822 HREF="node14.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="next" SRC="next_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1820 HREF="node12.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="up" SRC="up_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1814 HREF="node12.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="previous" SRC="previous_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1824 HREF="node1.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="contents" SRC="contents_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1825 HREF="node250.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="index" SRC="index_motif.gif"></A> <BR>
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<B> Next:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1823 HREF="node14.html">1.4.2 Text processing and </A>
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<B>Up:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1821 HREF="node12.html">1.4 Software Features</A>
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<B> Previous:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1815 HREF="node12.html">1.4 Software Features</A>
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<BR> <HR> <P>
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<H2><A NAME=SECTION00341000000000000000>1.4.1 Basic commands and utilities</A></H2>
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<P>
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Virtually every utility that you would expect to find on standard
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implementations of UNIX has been ported to Linux. This includes basic
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commands such as <tt>ls</tt>, <tt>awk</tt>, <tt>tr</tt>, <tt>sed</tt>, <tt>bc</tt>,
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<tt>more</tt>, and so on. You name it, Linux has it. Therefore,
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you can expect your familiar working environment on other UNIX
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systems to be duplicated on Linux. All of the standard commands and
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utilities are there. (Novice Linux users should see
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Chapter <A HREF="node93.html#chaptutorial">3</A> for an introduction to these basic UNIX
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commands.)
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<P>
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Many text editors are available, including <tt>vi</tt>, <tt>ex</tt>,
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<tt>pico</tt>, <tt>jove</tt>, as well as GNU Emacs and variants such as
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Lucid Emacs (which incorporates extensions for use under X Windows)
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and <tt>joe</tt>. Whatever text editor you're accustomed to using has
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more than likely been ported to Linux.
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<A NAME=224> </A>
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<A NAME=225> </A>
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<A NAME=256> </A>
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<A NAME=227> </A>
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<P>
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The choice of a text editor is an interesting one. Many UNIX users still
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use ``simple'' editors such as <tt>vi</tt> (in fact, the author wrote this book
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using <tt>vi</tt> under Linux). However, <tt>vi</tt> has many limitations,
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due to its age, and more modern (and complex) editors such as Emacs are
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gaining popularity.
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Emacs supports a complete LISP-based macro language and interpreter, a
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powerful command syntax, and other fun-filled extensions.
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Emacs macro packages exist to
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allow you to read electronic mail and news, edit the contents of directories,
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and even engage in an artificially intelligent psychotherapy session
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(indispensible for stressed-out Linux hackers).
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<P>
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One interesting note is that most of the basic Linux utilities are GNU
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software.
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<A NAME=231> </A>
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These GNU utilities support advanced features not found in the
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standard versions from BSD or AT&T. For example, GNU's version of
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the <tt>vi</tt> editor, <tt>elvis</tt>, includes a structured macro
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language which differs from the original AT&T implementation.
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However, the GNU utilities strive to remain compatible
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with their BSD and System V counterparts. Many people consider the GNU
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versions of these programs superior to the originals.
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<P>
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The most important utility to many users is the <b>shell</b>.
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<A NAME=235> </A>
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The shell
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is a program which reads and executes commands from the user. In addition,
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many shells provide features such as <b>job control</b> (allowing
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the user to manage several running processes at once---not as Orwellian as
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it sounds), input and output
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redirection, and a command language for writing <b>shell scripts</b>.
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A shell script is a file containing a program in the shell command
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language, analogous to a ``batch file'' under MS-DOS.
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<A NAME=238> </A>
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<P>
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There are many types of shells available for Linux. The most important
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difference between shells is the command language. For example, the
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<b>C Shell</b> (<tt>csh</tt>) uses a command language somewhat like
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the C programming language. The classic <b>Bourne Shell</b> uses
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a different command language. One's choice of a shell is often
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based on the command language that it provides. The shell that you
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use defines, to some extent, your working environment under Linux.
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<A NAME=242> </A>
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<A NAME=257> </A>
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<A NAME=258> </A>
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<P>
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No matter what shell you're accustomed to, some version of it has
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probably been ported to Linux. The most popular shell is
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the GNU Bourne Again Shell (<tt>bash</tt>),
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<A NAME=259> </A>
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a Bourne shell variant
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which includes many advanced features, such as job control, command
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history, command and filename completion, an Emacs-like interface
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for editing the command line, and powerful extensions to the standard
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Bourne shell language. Another popular shell is <tt>tcsh</tt>, a version
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<A NAME=260> </A>
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of the C Shell with advanced functionality similar to that found in <tt>bash</tt>.
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Other shells include <tt>zsh</tt>, a small Bourne-like shell; the Korn shell
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(<tt>ksh</tt>); BSD's <tt>ash</tt>; and <tt>rc</tt>, the Plan 9 shell.
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<P>
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What's so important about these basic utilities?
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Linux gives you the unique opportunity to tailor a custom system to your
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needs. For example, if you're the only person who uses your system,
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and you prefer to exclusively use the <tt>vi</tt> editor, and <tt>bash</tt>
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as your shell, there's no reason to install other editors or shells.
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The ``do it yourself'' attitude is prevalent among Linux hackers and users.
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<P>
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<BR> <HR><A NAME=tex2html1822 HREF="node14.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="next" SRC="next_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1820 HREF="node12.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="up" SRC="up_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1814 HREF="node12.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="previous" SRC="previous_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1824 HREF="node1.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="contents" SRC="contents_motif.gif"></A> <A NAME=tex2html1825 HREF="node250.html"><IMG ALIGN=BOTTOM ALT="index" SRC="index_motif.gif"></A> <BR>
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<B> Next:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1823 HREF="node14.html">1.4.2 Text processing and </A>
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<B>Up:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1821 HREF="node12.html">1.4 Software Features</A>
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<B> Previous:</B> <A NAME=tex2html1815 HREF="node12.html">1.4 Software Features</A>
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<BR> <HR> <P>
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<BR> <HR>
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<P><ADDRESS>
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<I>Matt Welsh <BR>
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mdw@sunsite.unc.edu</I>
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</ADDRESS>
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