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PC User's Guide To Unix
If you are a PC user, the transition to Unix will be easier for
you because of the similarities between DOS and Unix.
One similarity is the hierarchical file system. As in DOS, Unix
provides you with the ability to create directories so that you
can organize your file system as you prefer. However, since Unix
is a multi-user system, you will only have permission to create,
modify, and delete files in the part of the file "tree" allocated
to you. You can move around in the entire file system, for the
most part, looking at and even copying files that are accessible,
but you can only write files in your own area.
File names on the HP-Unix system can typically be much longer
than under DOS. The maximum length for file names is 255
characters. File extensions can be longer than three characters;
in fact, you can include more than one period (.) in a filename
(for example, car.engine.block). Path names (complete file name
and all directories associated with it) can not be longer than
1,023 characters.
Another similarity is in the command names; many basic Unix
commands will be familiar to the DOS user. You will notice that
a number of Unix commands are only two letters, contributing to
the reputation that Unix is too cryptic. Once you've become
accustomed to these terse commands, however, you will probably
appreciate the few keystrokes required. Also, if you prefer
names for commands other than what is provided by default, Unix
systems provide the capability to ''alias'' a command (including
your favorite options) to any name you prefer. The information
on how to create command aliases is found online by typing man
ksh (for the Korn shell) or man csh (for the C shell).
A DOS/Unix table of commands is shown below. See the online man
page for documentation on each Unix command by typing man command
once you are logged on to any Unix system.
DOS Command Unix Command Meaning
=============================================================
cd pathname or chdir cd pathname Change directory to
pathname
copy cp Make a copy of a file
cls clear Clear the screen
del or erase rm Delete (remove) a file
dir ls List the contents of current
directory
md or mkdir mkdir Make a new directory
PAGE 2
ren or rename mv Rename a file (or move it
in Unix)
rd or rmdir rmdir Remove a directory
type cat Display file on screen
type file | more more file Display file a screenful at
a time
\ / Separator in a pathname to
a file or directory
(Copied by permission from the University of Virginia's Academic
Computing Center Academic Computing Newsletter, June-August 1991
issue, article by Dee Irwin.)