Understanding files and directories

Directories and files
        Directories
                Your home directory
                Identifying your current directory
                Changing directories
        Files
                Listing the files in a directory
                Hidden files
                Listing more information about files
                Narrowing the listing: using wildcards
        Summary

Working with files and directories
        Getting to the command prompt
        Files and directories
                Using files
                Using directories
                File and directory attributes
                How the system manages files and directories
                Filenaming conventions
        Managing directories
                How directories are organized
                An example: what the system contains
                Creating a directory
                Listing the contents of a directory
                Renaming a directory
                Copying a directory
                Removing a directory
                Comparing directories
        Navigating the filesystem
                Finding out where you are in the system
                Changing directory
                Returning to your home directory
        Creating links to files and directories
                Creating a link to a file
                Finding out whether a file has hard links
                Creating a link to a directory
                Navigating symbolic links
        Mounting a filesystem
        Managing files
                Finding out what type of data a file contains
                Looking at the contents of a file
                Finding out how much text is in a file
                Looking at the beginning and end of a file
                Copying a file
                Moving or renaming a file
                Removing a file
                        Removing files with difficult names
                Comparing files
                Sorting the contents of a file
                Searching for text in a file
                Finding files
                Retrieving deleted files
                        Keeping old versions of files
                        Undeleting files
                        Cleaning up your filesystem
        Specifying command input and output
                Forcing a program to read standard input and output
        Running a sequence of commands
                Entering commands on the same line
                Running commands in a pipeline
        Access control for files and directories
                Changing file permissions
                Setting the default permissions for a new file
                Giving a file to someone else
                Finding out your group
                Changing your current group
                Changing the group of a file
        Printing a file
                Printing several copies of a file
                Selecting a printer
                Displaying a list of current print jobs
                Canceling a print request
        Getting help on the command line
                Getting help when you are uncertain of the topic

UNIX directories and special device files
        The root directory
        The /bin directory
        The /dev directory
        The /etc directory
        The /lib directory
        The /mnt directory
        The /opt directory
        The /shlib directory
        The /usr directory
        The /stand directory
        The /tcb directory
        The /tmp directory
        The /var directory

Managing files
        More ways to look at files
                Reading a file one screen at a time
                Reading just the first or last lines of a file
        Making directories
        Removing directories
        Copying files
        Renaming files
        Removing files
        Summary

Working with disks, tapes, and CD-ROMs
        Using UNIX devices
                Identifying device files
                Default devices
        Using floppy disk drives
                Formatting floppy disks
                Determining how many disks you need for a backup
        Using tapes
                Formatting tapes
                Rewinding, erasing, and retensioning tapes
        Using CD-ROMs
        Creating a backup with tar
                Listing the files in a tar backup
                Extracting files from a tar backup
        Creating a backup with cpio
                Listing the files in a cpio backup
                Extracting files from a cpio backup

Commands revisited: pipes and redirection
        Putting the output of a command into a file
        Using a file as input to a command
        Joining files together
        Background processing
        Appending one file to another
        Using pipes to build your own utilities
        Summary

Protecting files and directories
        Reading a long listing
                Permissions
                Owner, group, other
        Changing the group of a file
        Changing the owner of a file
        Changing the permissions on a file
        Summary

Power tools
        Searching for a file
        Searching for text within files
        Checking who is logged in
        Finding out more information about a user
        Finding out the time and date
        Seeing a calendar
        Remembering your appointments
        Using a calculator
        Clearing the screen
        Summary

Customizing your environment
        Your environment
        Changing your prompt
        Setting your path
        Default file permissions
                Changing permissions with absolute mode
                Setting your file creation mask
        Configuring mail
        Creating command aliases
        Summary

Index