old-www/LDP/GNU-Linux-Tools-Summary/html/c107.htm

535 lines
8.5 KiB
HTML

<HTML
><HEAD
><TITLE
>Introduction</TITLE
><META
NAME="GENERATOR"
CONTENT="Modular DocBook HTML Stylesheet Version 1.7"><LINK
REL="HOME"
TITLE="GNU/Linux Command-Line Tools Summary"
HREF="book1.htm"><LINK
REL="PREVIOUS"
TITLE="GNU/Linux Command-Line Tools Summary"
HREF="book1.htm"><LINK
REL="NEXT"
TITLE="Who would not want to read this guide?"
HREF="x299.htm"></HEAD
><BODY
CLASS="CHAPTER"
BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF"
TEXT="#000000"
LINK="#0000FF"
VLINK="#840084"
ALINK="#0000FF"
><DIV
CLASS="NAVHEADER"
><TABLE
SUMMARY="Header navigation table"
WIDTH="100%"
BORDER="0"
CELLPADDING="0"
CELLSPACING="0"
><TR
><TH
COLSPAN="3"
ALIGN="center"
>GNU/Linux Command-Line Tools Summary</TH
></TR
><TR
><TD
WIDTH="10%"
ALIGN="left"
VALIGN="bottom"
><A
HREF="book1.htm"
ACCESSKEY="P"
>Prev</A
></TD
><TD
WIDTH="80%"
ALIGN="center"
VALIGN="bottom"
></TD
><TD
WIDTH="10%"
ALIGN="right"
VALIGN="bottom"
><A
HREF="x299.htm"
ACCESSKEY="N"
>Next</A
></TD
></TR
></TABLE
><HR
ALIGN="LEFT"
WIDTH="100%"></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="CHAPTER"
><H1
><A
NAME="INTRODUCTION"
></A
>Chapter 1. Introduction</H1
><DIV
CLASS="TOC"
><DL
><DT
><B
>Table of Contents</B
></DT
><DT
><A
HREF="c107.htm#WHO-WOULD-WANT-TO-READ-THIS-GUIDE"
>Who would want to read this guide?</A
></DT
><DT
><A
HREF="x299.htm"
>Who would not want to read this guide?</A
></DT
><DT
><A
HREF="x335.htm"
>Availability of sources</A
></DT
><DT
><A
HREF="x392.htm"
>Conventions used in this guide</A
></DT
><DT
><A
HREF="x611.htm"
>Resources used to create this document</A
></DT
><DT
><A
HREF="x662.htm"
>Feedback</A
></DT
><DT
><A
HREF="x696.htm"
>Contributors</A
></DT
></DL
></DIV
><P
>This document is an attempt to summarise <A
NAME="AEN110"
></A
>the many command-line based <A
NAME="AEN112"
></A
>tools available to a GNU/Linux based operating system. This guide <A
NAME="AEN114"
></A
>is not a complete listing (I doubt it's possible to document<A
NAME="AEN116"
></A
> all available programs), this document lists many tools which are available to GNU/Linux systems and which are, or can be useful to the majority <A
NAME="AEN118"
></A
>of users.</P
><P
>Each tool description <A
NAME="AEN121"
></A
>provides a quick overview of it's function <A
NAME="AEN123"
></A
>and some useful options <A
NAME="AEN125"
></A
>for that individual tool.</P
><P
>The tools listed <A
NAME="AEN128"
></A
>that require a GUI,<A
NAME="AEN130"
></A
> usually the X windowing <A
NAME="AEN132"
></A
>system, are those listed in the Graphics <A
NAME="AEN134"
></A
>Tools section. All other tools are completely command-line-based <A
NAME="AEN136"
></A
>and do not require a <SPAN
CLASS="ACRONYM"
>GUI</SPAN
> <A
NAME="AEN139"
></A
>to run. </P
><P
>If you are looking <A
NAME="AEN142"
></A
>for information on <SPAN
CLASS="ACRONYM"
>GUI</SPAN
> <A
NAME="AEN145"
></A
>based tools you will need to look elsewhere.</P
><P
>Also note that a few of the tools in this guide are bash <A
NAME="AEN148"
></A
>(the Bourne-Again-SHell<A
NAME="AEN150"
></A
>) specific, tools specific <A
NAME="AEN152"
></A
>to other shells <A
NAME="AEN154"
></A
>are not listed in this document.</P
><P
>For some of the tools that are harder to use, or perform a more complex<A
NAME="AEN157"
></A
> task,<A
NAME="AEN159"
></A
> there are several mini-tutorials <A
NAME="AEN161"
></A
>(or mini-guides;<A
NAME="AEN163"
></A
> <A
HREF="c11412.htm"
>Chapter 20</A
>) within this document.</P
><P
>Where a mini-guide <A
NAME="AEN167"
></A
>was considered unncessary, detailed descriptions that explain in detail how a particular tool works, and some examples <A
NAME="AEN169"
></A
>of how to use it are provided.<A
NAME="AEN171"
></A
></P
><P
>Please note that the word &ldquo;tool&rdquo; is used interchangeably <A
NAME="AEN174"
></A
>with the word &ldquo;command&rdquo;, both have the same meaning (at least in this guide). For a more detailed <A
NAME="AEN176"
></A
>explanation, read about the <SPAN
CLASS="PRODUCTNAME"
>UNIX</SPAN
> Tools Philosophy <A
NAME="AEN179"
></A
>here: <A
HREF="c1089.htm"
>Chapter 3</A
> or visit the links in the appendix,<A
NAME="AEN182"
></A
> <A
HREF="x12429.htm#UNIX-TOOLS-FURTHER-READING"
>the Section called <I
>The <SPAN
CLASS="PRODUCTNAME"
>UNIX</SPAN
> tools philosophy further reading<A
NAME="AEN12561"
></A
></I
> in Appendix A</A
>.<A
NAME="AEN185"
></A
></P
><DIV
CLASS="TIP"
><BLOCKQUOTE
CLASS="TIP"
><P
><B
>To find out which tools are bash specific: </B
>To find out which tools are bash specific you can type:
<PRE
CLASS="SCREEN"
>enable -a</PRE
></P
></BLOCKQUOTE
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="SECT1"
><H1
CLASS="SECT1"
><A
NAME="WHO-WOULD-WANT-TO-READ-THIS-GUIDE"
></A
>Who would want to read this guide?</H1
><P
>Anyone who is interested in learning <A
NAME="AEN194"
></A
>about the tools (also known as commands) available to them when using their GNU/Linux based operating system.</P
><P
>Why would you want to learn <A
NAME="AEN197"
></A
>how to use the command-line<A
NAME="AEN199"
></A
> (and available tools)? The <SPAN
CLASS="emphasis"
><I
CLASS="EMPHASIS"
>C</I
></SPAN
>ommand <SPAN
CLASS="emphasis"
><I
CLASS="EMPHASIS"
>L</I
></SPAN
>ine<SPAN
CLASS="emphasis"
><I
CLASS="EMPHASIS"
>-I</I
></SPAN
>nterface (CLI)<A
NAME="AEN204"
></A
><A
NAME="AEN206"
></A
>, while difficult to learn, is the quickest <A
NAME="AEN208"
></A
>and most efficient <A
NAME="AEN210"
></A
>way to use a computer for many different tasks. The CLI <A
NAME="AEN212"
></A
>is the normal method of use for most <SPAN
CLASS="PRODUCTNAME"
>UNIX</SPAN
> <A
NAME="AEN215"
></A
>system administrators,<A
NAME="AEN217"
></A
> programmers <A
NAME="AEN219"
></A
>and some power users<A
NAME="AEN221"
></A
>. While a <SPAN
CLASS="ACRONYM"
>GUI</SPAN
> <A
NAME="AEN224"
></A
>is better suited <A
NAME="AEN226"
></A
>to some tasks, many operations are best suited to the CLI.<A
NAME="AEN228"
></A
></P
><P
>The major motivation<A
NAME="AEN231"
></A
> behind learning <A
NAME="AEN233"
></A
>the GNU/Linux CLI <A
NAME="AEN235"
></A
>is the authors <A
NAME="AEN237"
></A
>idea<A
NAME="AEN239"
></A
> that, with software <A
NAME="AEN241"
></A
>in general, the more time spent learning something equals less time spent performing that particular task <SPAN
CLASS="emphasis"
><I
CLASS="EMPHASIS"
>(authors opinion only<A
NAME="AEN244"
></A
>)</I
></SPAN
>.</P
><P
>This guide is aimed at beginners<A
NAME="AEN247"
></A
> to intermediate <A
NAME="AEN249"
></A
>users who want to learn<A
NAME="AEN251"
></A
> about the command-line <A
NAME="AEN253"
></A
>tools available to them. Advanced users may wish to use it as a command reference,<A
NAME="AEN255"
></A
> however this document aims to list <A
NAME="AEN257"
></A
>commands of interest, as judged <A
NAME="AEN259"
></A
>by the authors opinion,<A
NAME="AEN261"
></A
> it is not designed <A
NAME="AEN263"
></A
>to be completely comprehensive,<A
NAME="AEN265"
></A
> see the appendix,<A
NAME="AEN267"
></A
> <A
HREF="x12429.htm#GENERAL-FURTHER-READING"
>the Section called <I
>General Further Reading</I
> in Appendix A</A
> for further information. Or if you are not looking for a command reference <A
NAME="AEN270"
></A
>guide, but a more gentle introduction to GNU/Linux you may be interested in the <A
HREF="http://www.tldp.org/LDP/intro-linux/html/"
TARGET="_top"
>Introduction to <SPAN
CLASS="PRODUCTNAME"
>Linux</SPAN
> guide</A
><A
NAME="AEN274"
></A
> authored <A
NAME="AEN277"
></A
>by Machtelt Garrels.<A
NAME="AEN279"
></A
></P
><P
>This guide could also be considered a summarised <A
NAME="AEN282"
></A
>version of the <SPAN
CLASS="PRODUCTNAME"
>Linux</SPAN
> Cookbook.<A
NAME="AEN285"
></A
> If you are looking for a book <A
NAME="AEN287"
></A
>with more detailed descriptions of each tool have a look at the <A
HREF="http://dsl.org/cookbook/"
TARGET="_top"
>Linux Cookbook Homepage</A
>, also check out the <A
HREF="http://www.onlamp.com/linux/cmd/"
TARGET="_top"
>command list from "Linux in a Nutshell 3rd Edition"</A
><A
NAME="AEN291"
></A
><A
NAME="AEN293"
></A
> for an index <A
NAME="AEN295"
></A
>of 300+ commands and their explanations.<A
NAME="AEN297"
></A
></P
></DIV
></DIV
><DIV
CLASS="NAVFOOTER"
><HR
ALIGN="LEFT"
WIDTH="100%"><TABLE
SUMMARY="Footer navigation table"
WIDTH="100%"
BORDER="0"
CELLPADDING="0"
CELLSPACING="0"
><TR
><TD
WIDTH="33%"
ALIGN="left"
VALIGN="top"
><A
HREF="book1.htm"
ACCESSKEY="P"
>Prev</A
></TD
><TD
WIDTH="34%"
ALIGN="center"
VALIGN="top"
><A
HREF="book1.htm"
ACCESSKEY="H"
>Home</A
></TD
><TD
WIDTH="33%"
ALIGN="right"
VALIGN="top"
><A
HREF="x299.htm"
ACCESSKEY="N"
>Next</A
></TD
></TR
><TR
><TD
WIDTH="33%"
ALIGN="left"
VALIGN="top"
>GNU/Linux Command-Line Tools Summary</TD
><TD
WIDTH="34%"
ALIGN="center"
VALIGN="top"
>&nbsp;</TD
><TD
WIDTH="33%"
ALIGN="right"
VALIGN="top"
>Who would not want to read this guide?</TD
></TR
></TABLE
></DIV
></BODY
></HTML
>