Unix Overview

Navigation and Commands

• Introduction
• Unix File Structure
• Unix Command Format
• Basic Command Reference
  • nano - a simple text editor
    • Beginner's Guide to nano
    • nano Command Manual
  • man - the Unix online manual
  • pwd - print working directory pathname
  • cd - change to a new working directory
  • ls - list information about one or more files or the contents of a directory
  • chmod - change file modes (permissions) for a file or directory
  • cat - concatenate files and print on the standard output
  • more and less - file perusal filters
  • diff - compare files line by line
  • mkdir - make a new directory
  • rmdir - remove an empty directory
  • cp - copy one or more files
  • mv - move (or rename) files
  • rm - remove files
  • ln - make a link to a file
  • g++ - GNU C++ compiler and linker
• Input and Output Redirection
• Unix Job Control
• make and Makefiles
• gdb Debugger Reference

Unix Editors

In addition to the basic nano editor covered in lab training, there are several other editors available on most Unix systems that offer more powerful editing capabilities and customization.

The vi editor can be found on every Unix system.

• Introduction to the vi editor
• An extremely quick and simple introduction to the vi text editor

vim is an improved version of vi distributed with most newer versions of Unix (including ours - on our system, typing "vi" will actually run the vim editor). You can access a short online tutorial on this editor by typing vimtutor at the Unix prompt.

• An interactive vim tutorial
• The Vimdoc Project
• The Vim FAQ

GNU Emacs is a free, portable, extensible text editor found on many systems throughout the world of programming, including ours.

• The GNU Emacs Project
• A Tutorial Introduction to Emacs
• Another good description of the editor, including some discussion of the C++ mode coding aids the editor provides

gdb Debugger References and Tutorials

• A brief tutorial that covers a handful of the most important debugger commands
• Another brief tutorial
• Another tutorial, with tips on debugging strategies
• An exhaustive gdb reference
• gdb video tutorial
• Another gdb video tutorial

Don't care for any of these sites? Search for "gdb tutorial" and take a look at some of the other ~2,100 hits you'll get!