File Commands

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Notes:

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Some file commands:

• more - display file contents one screen at a time. Keystroke commands for more:
  • [SpaceBar] - display the next screen
  • [Enter] - advance 1 line
  • b - go backwards
  • /xyz - search for the string xyz
  • q - quit
     
• less - a more powerful version of more
   
• head - display lines from the beginning of a file The default is 10 lines.
  • head -15 /etc/passwd
    displays the first 15 lines of /etc/passwd
     
• tail - display lines from the end of a file
   
• cp - copies a file or files
  • cp oldfile newfile
    copies oldfile; the copy will be called newfile
  • cp oldfile newdir
    (assuming newdir is a directory) copies oldfile; the copy will be called oldfile and will be stored in the directory newdir
  • cp f* newdir
    copies all files with a filename beginning with the letter f to the directory newdir; if newdir is not a directory, this concatenates all files beginning with the letter f into a single file called newdir
  • cp f? newdir
    copies all files with two letter filenames where the first letter is f to the directory newdir
  • cp b[aeiu]t newdir
    copies the files bat, bet, bit and but to the directory newdir
     
• mv - Moves instead of copies
  • the mv command has the same syntax as the cp command
  • the mv command can also be used to rename a file
     
• rm - This command deletes a file. Examples:
  • rm file1
    delete file1
  • rm *
    delete all files in the working directory
  • rm -i *
    prompt to confirm before deleting each file
     
• touch - This command changes the access and modification time of a file to the current time. If the file does not exist, touch will create an empty file using that name.
   
• ln - create a link to an existing file. Examples:
  • ln -s filename linkname
    creates a link or a pointer. The link will be called linkname and it will point to filename.

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Exercises:

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1. Load Floppix and login on virtual console 1 using your own initials.
    
2. Get a listing of the files in your own home directory.
    
3. What hidden files (filename begins with . ) are present in your own home directory?
    
4. What hidden files are present in the directory /home/alterego?
    
5. Use head or tail to do the following:
   • Display the last 4 lines of the file /etc/passwd.
   • Display the last 4 lines of the file /etc/group.
   • Display the first 10 lines of the file /etc/login.defs.
      
6. Practice the copy command:
   • Copy files in your current directory:
     Make sure that you are in your own home directory.
     Make a copy of readme called readme2. Get a directory listing to make sure that the copy command worked.
     Make a copy of .bash_profile called bprofile. Get a directory listing to make sure that the copy command worked.
     
     
   • Copy files from another directory:
     Copy the file called penguin from /home/floopy to your own home directory. Make sure that the copy command worked.
     Copy the file called motd from the /etc directory to your own home directory. Make sure that the copy command worked.
     Copy the file called .plan in the directory /home/alterego to a file called plan in your own home directory. Make sure that the copy command worked.
      
     
   • Copy files to another directory:
     Copy the readme file to the /tmp directory. As part of the copy, rename the file readme.abc. Get a listing of the tmp directory to make sure that the copy worked.
      
7. In your own home directory, use the touch command to create five files: one, two, three, four and five. Get a directory listing to make sure that the command worked.
    
8. Practice making directories.
   • In your own home directory, make 2 subdirectories: dir1 and dir2. Get a directory listing to make sure that the command worked.
   • In dir2, make a subdirectory called dir2a .
      
9. Practice moving files from your own home directory:
   • Move the file called one to the directory dir1 . Get directory listings of  the source directory and dir1 to make sure that the move command worked.
   • Use a single command and wildcard characters to move all files in your home directory that begin with the letter "t" to dir2 . Get a directory listing to make sure that the move command worked.
   • Use a single command and wildcard characters to move all files in your home directory that begin with the letter "f" to the directory dir2a . Get a directory listing to make sure that the move command worked.
      
10. Use the move command to rename files.
    • Use the move command to change the name of the file called readme2 to readme.new.
    • Create a subdirectory called aaa.
    • Can you use the move command to change the name of aaa to dir3? _____

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Questions & Answers:

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1. What is a "pager"?
    
   Answer: A pager displays the contents of a file one screen or page at a time. "more" and "less" are both pagers.
    
2. What command will display the last 5 lines of the file /etc/passwd?
    
   Answer: tail   -5   /etc/passwd
    
3. What command will copy the file /etc/passwd to your own home directory?
    
   Answer: cp   /etc/passwd   ~
    
4. What command will copy all files that start with h from the /etc directory to your own home directory?
    
   Answer: cp   /etc/h*   ~
    
5. What command will create 3 files: r1, r2 and r3?
    
   Answer: touch   r1   r2   r3
    
6. What command will copy r1 and r2 to the /tmp directory?
    
   Answer: cp   r[12]   /tmp
    
7. What command will delete the files r1, r2 and r3 but not readme?
    
   Answer: rm   r?

Copyright © L. M. MacEwan

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