5.2) Plain file manipulation

5.2.1) mv

mv fred wilma

This moves 'fred' to a file named 'wilma'. This is the Unix way of renaming a file.

mv fred flintstones/fred

This moves fred to a file named fred in the subdirectory flintstones. This example could have been written 'mv fred flintstones/' as well, and the filename 'fred' would have been retained in the new directory.

After executing this command, there will no longer be a fred file in the current directory.

5.2.2) cp

cp fred wilma

This copies 'fred' to a file named 'wilma'.

cp fred flintstones/fred

This copies 'fred' to a file named 'fred' in the subdirectory 'flintstones'.

5.2.3) rm

rm flintstones

This removes a file named 'flintstones'.

rm -rf flintstones

This removes a directory named 'flintstones'. The '-r' removes the directory, the '-f' forces it to remove files without asking you before it deletes each one.

5.3) Directory manipulation

In order to keep track of the possibly millions of files on-line, Unix systems have a directory tree, which enables meaningful classification of files. For example, the most essential system programs are kept in /bin/, user home directories are all under /home/, and everything having to do with the WWW is under /www/. More specifically, your home directory is /home/you/ and the directory for your WWW files is /www/htdocs/you/.

5.3.1) pwd

pwd

This prints out your working directory: where you are. When you give a filename to a command without specifying some other directory, the filename is looked up, manipulated, or created in your current working directory.

5.3.2) mkdir

mkdir flintstones

This makes a subdirectory of the current directory named 'flintstones'.

5.3.3) cd

cd flintstones

This changes the directory to the subdirectory named 'flintstones'.

cd /home/flintstones

This changes the directory to the home directory of the 'flintstones'.

cd /www/htdocs/flintstones

This changes the directory to the WWW directory of the 'flintstones'.

cd

With no arguments, 'cd' returns you to your home directory.

5.3.4) rmdir

rmdir flintstones

This removes the subdirectory 'flintstones'. The directory must be empty for this to work.

5.4) Account management

5.4.1) ln (redirecting file access)

Type 'ln -s fred.html index.html' to redirect all file accesses from 'index.html' to the file 'fred.html'.

5.4.2) Changing your password

To change your password, type 'passwd'.

5.4.3) Changing your account 'Name'

To change your 'name' (this is what people see when they receive E-mail from you) type :

chfn fred

Replace fred with your own userid. Enter the 'Full Name' field and just hit return on the other fields.