BashCards Flashcards
alias
Create an alias *
apropos
Search Help manual pages (man -k)
apt-get
Search for and install software packages (Debian/Ubuntu)
aptitude
Search for and install software packages (Debian/Ubuntu)
aspell
Spell Checker
awk
Find and Replace text (database sort/validate/index)
basename
Strip directory and suffix from filenames
bash
GNU Bourne-Again SHell
bc
Arbitrary precision calculator language
bg
Send to background
break
Exit from a loop *
builtin
Run a shell builtin
bzip2
Compress or decompress named file(s)
cal
Display a calendar
case
Conditionally perform a command
cat
Concatenate and print (display) the content of files
cd
Change Directory
cfdisk
Partition table manipulator for Linux
chgrp
Change group ownership
chmod
Change access permissions
chown
Change file owner and group
chroot
Run a command with a different root directory
chkconfig
System services (runlevel)
cksum
Print CRC checksum and byte counts
clear
Clear terminal screen
cmp
Compare two files
comm
Compare two sorted files line by line
command
Run a command - ignoring shell functions *
continue
Resume the next iteration of a loop *
cp
Copy one or more files to another location
cron
Daemon to execute scheduled commands
crontab
Schedule a command to run at a later time
csplit
Split a file into context-determined pieces
cut
Divide a file into several parts
date
Display or change the date & time
dc
Desk Calculator
dd
Convert and copy a file & write disk headers & boot records
ddrescue
Data recovery tool
declare
Declare variables and give them attributes *
df
Display free disk space
diff
Display the differences between two files
diff3
Show differences among three files
dig
DNS lookup
dir
Briefly list directory contents
dircolors
Colour setup for ls
dirname
Convert a full pathname to just a path
dirs
Display list of remembered directories
dmesg
Print kernel & driver messages
du
Estimate file space usage
echo
Display message on screen *
egrep
Search file(s) for lines that match an extended expression
eject
Eject removable media
enable
Enable and disable builtin shell commands *
env
Environment variables
ethtool
Ethernet card settings
eval
Evaluate several commands/arguments
exec
Execute a command
exit
Exit the shell
expect
Automate arbitrary applications accessed over a terminal
expand
Convert tabs to spaces
export
Set an environment variable
expr
Evaluate expressions
false
Do nothing unsuccessfully
fdisk
Partition table manipulator for Linux
fg
Send job to foreground
fgrep
Search file(s) for lines that match a fixed string
file
Determine file type
find
Search for files that meet a desired criteria
fmt
Reformat paragraph text
fold
Wrap text to fit a specified width.
for
Expand words, and execute commands
format
Format disks or tapes
free
Display memory usage
fsck
File system consistency check and repair
ftp
File Transfer Protocol
fuser
Identify/kill the process that is accessing a file
gawk
Find and Replace text within file(s)
getopts
Parse positional parameters
grep
Search file(s) for lines that match a given pattern
groups
Print group names a user is in
gzip
Compress or decompress named file(s)
hash
Remember the full pathname of a name argument
head
Output the first part of file(s)
help
Display help for a built-in command *
history
Command History
htop
Interactive process viewer
iconv
Convert the character set of a file
id
Print user and group ids
if
Conditionally perform a command
ifconfig
Configure a network interface
ifdown
Stop a network interface
ifup
Start a network interface up
import
Capture an X server screen and save the image to file
install
Copy files and set attributes
ip
Routing, devices and tunnels
jobs
List active jobs *
join
Join lines on a common field
kill
Kill a process by specifying its PID
killall
Kill processes by name
less
Display output one screen at a time
let
Perform arithmetic on shell variables *
link
Create a link to a file
ln
Create a symbolic link to a file
local
Create variables *
locate
Find files
logname
Print current login name
logout
Exit a login shell *
look
Display lines beginning with a given string
lpc
Line printer control program
lpr
Off line print
lprint
Print a file
lprintd
Abort a print job
lprintq
List the print queue
lprm
Remove jobs from the print queue
ls
List information about file(s)
lsof
List open files
make
Recompile a group of programs
man
Help manual
mkdir
Create new folder(s)
mkfifo
Make FIFOs (named pipes)
mkisofs
Create an hybrid ISO9660/JOLIET/HFS filesystem
mknod
Make block or character special files
more
Display output one screen at a time
most
Browse or page through a text file
mount
Mount a file system
mtools
Manipulate MS-DOS files
mtr
Network diagnostics (traceroute/ping)
mv
Move or rename files or directories
mmv
Mass Move and rename (files)
netstat
Networking information
nice
Set the priority of a command or job
nl
Number lines and write files
nohup
Run a command immune to hangups
notify-send
Send desktop notifications
open
Open a file in its default application
op
Operator access
passwd
Modify a user password
paste
Merge lines of files
pathchk
Check file name portability
ping
Test a network connection
pkill
Kill processes by a full or partial name.
popd
Restore the previous value of the current directory
pr
Prepare files for printing
printf
Format and print data *
ps
Process status
pushd
Save and then change the current directory
pv
Monitor the progress of data through a pipe
pwd
Print Working Directory
quota
Display disk usage and limits
ram
ram disk device
rar
Archive files with compression
rcp
Copy files between two machines
read
Read a line from standard input *
reboot
Reboot the system
rename
Rename files
renice
Alter priority of running processes
remsync
Synchronize remote files via email
return
Exit a shell function
rev
Reverse lines of a file
rm
Remove files
rmdir
Remove folder(s)
rsync
Remote file copy (Synchronize file trees)
screen
Multiplex terminal, run remote shells via ssh
scp
Secure copy (remote file copy)
sdiff
Merge two files interactively
sed
Stream Editor
select
Accept keyboard input
seq
Print numeric sequences
set
Manipulate shell variables and functions
sftp
Secure File Transfer Program
shift
Shift positional parameters
shopt
Shell Options
sleep
Delay for a specified time
slocate
Find files
sort
Sort text files
source
Run commands from a file ‘.’
split
Split a file into fixed-size pieces
ssh
Secure Shell client (remote login program)
stat
Display file or file system status
strace
Trace system calls and signals
su
Substitute user identity
sudo
Execute a command as another user
sum
Print a checksum for a file
suspend
Suspend execution of this shell *
sync
Synchronize data on disk with memory
tail
Output the last part of file
tar
Store, list or extract files in an archive
tee
Redirect output to multiple files
test
Evaluate a conditional expression
time
Measure Program running time
timeout
Run a command with a time limit
times
User and system times
touch
Change file timestamps
top
List processes running on the system
tput
Set terminal-dependent capabilities, color, position
trap
Run a command when a signal is set(bourne)
tr
Translate, squeeze, and/or delete characters
true
Do nothing, successfully
tsort
Topological sort
tty
Print filename of terminal on stdin
type
Describe a command *
ulimit
Limit user resources *
umask
Users file creation mask
umount
Unmount a device
unalias
Remove an alias *
uname
Print system information
uniq
Uniquify files
units
Convert units from one scale to another
unrar
Extract files from a rar archive
unset
Remove variable or function names
unshar
Unpack shell archive scripts
until
Execute commands (until error)
uptime
Show uptime
useradd
Create new user account
userdel
Delete a user account
usermod
Modify user account
users
List users currently logged in
v
Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b’)
vdir
Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b’)
vi
Text Editor
vmstat
Report virtual memory statistics
wait
Wait for a process to complete *
watch
Execute/display a program periodically
wc
Print byte, word and line counts
whereis
Search the users $path man pages and source files for a program
which
Search the users $path for a program file
while
Execute commands
who
Print all usernames currently logged in
whoami
Print the current user id and name (id-un)
wget
Retrieve web pages or files via HTTP HTTPS or FTP
write
Send a message to another user
xargs
Execute utility passing constructed argument list(s)
xdg-open
Open a file or URL in the user’s preferred application.
yes
Print a string until interrupted
zip
Package and compress (archive) files.
. (dot)
Run a command script in the current shell
!!
Run the last command again
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Comment / Remark
Commands marked *
bash built-ins
