You may find the following selections from "Using UNIX Systems" to be useful for future reference.

• Managing UNIX Files and Directories
• Pine User's Guide
• UD UNIX help pages
• Publishing Student WWW Pages

Today's Activities:

The UNIX prompt should appear as follows (assuming you logged onto copland):

copland.udel.edu%

The UNIX commands described below should be entered after this UNIX prompt, not in the pico editor or the pine e-mail program!

Listing and Removing Files:

From the window open to UNIX, list the contents of your root directory by trying the following commands:

cd

(change directory)

This guarantees that you are in your root directory.

Note that UNIX is a fairly terse operatiny system; no indication is provided that anything has happened!

ls

(list contents of directory)

Please note: This is an "ell": l and this is a "one": 1

ls -l

(list - long)

This listing is in a longer form that shows more information, such as file permission settings and creation dates.

Note that the "space" between ls, the UNIX command, and -l, the option is essential.

"Spaces" are used to delimit the name of the UNIX command, its options, and the filename(s) on which it operates.

ls -a

(list - all)

This listing shows all files, including hidden files which have filename starting with a period.

ls -la

This combines the two special actions to ls.

You may find additional possibilities by checking the online manual for ls by entering man ls at the UNIX prompt.

ls .login

You may apply ls to list specific files.

ls core

This file, if present, is the image of core memory dumped from a previous program failure.

Sometimes difficulties with computer accounts originate with disk space problems that are exacerbated by the presence of this file; you may remove it by entering

rm core.

Creating Files:

pico scen103.tmp

Again, note that the "space" between pico, the UNIX command, and scen103.tmp, the filename to be edited, is essential. "Spaces" are used to delimit the name of the UNIX command from the filename on which it operates.

Note that pico is the same text editor used for composing e-mail messages in pine.

Enter the phrase "Science and Technology" while in pico.

Use ^O (WriteOut) to save the contents of the file.

Use ^X (Exit) to quit pico and return to the UNIX prompt.

ls scen103.tmp

Check that you successfully created the file by listing your root directory specifically for that file.

more scen103.tmp

Show the contents of the file.

Copying and Renaming Files:

cp scen103.tmp silicon.tmp

(copy)

ls *.tmp

Check that the file has been successfully copied.

* is a wildcard; all files with names ending with .tmp will be listed.

mv silicon.tmp circuits.tmp

(move)

A file is renamed in UNIX by moving it to a file with a different name.

ls *.tmp

Check the results.

rm *.tmp

Remove the temporary files.

ls *.tmp

Check that the files have been successfully removed.

Creating a .plan File:

finger -m ghw

Notice that you can see when I have last logged in, which computer I used, and when I have last read my mail. Also my .plan is listed!

finger ghw@udel.edu

This finger command gives different kind of information.

ls .plan

Do you have a .plan file?

pico .plan

If not, create one using pico.

Don't forget the leading period in the filename.

Be creative, but not too long-winded!

Exit pico and and make your .plan file accessible to the finger command issued by others by using the chmod command twice as follows:

chmod go+x .

(change the permission modes of a file)

This opens execute permission to others from your root directory (represented by .) needed by the finger command.

Note the two spaces surrounding go+x as delimiters!

(You may read through Changing Access Permissions if you would like to learn more about the chmod command.)

chmod go+r .plan

This adds read premission to your .plan file.

finger your_username

Confirm that your .plan appears as you wish by fingering your account.

When you are satisfied, let me know and I will confirm that it is readable by the world.

finger your_username@udel.edu

Also check the difference between this and the finger command above.

Check Point: Your .signature File:

If you have not yet created .signature, create a .signature file using pine; [S]etup, [S]ignature.
    Include information about yourself, or a closing comment, that you would like attached to all of your outgoing mail.

Confirm that your .signature is working by e-mailing me a brief message.

Creating Subdirectories:

cd public_html

Change to the subdirectory which holds your webpages.

mkdir scen103

(make dirirectory)

Make a subdirectory named scen103 under the subdirectory public_html.

We will be using this space to hold some future SCEN103 homework submissions.

mkdir scentemp

Make an additional subdirectory for temporary use.

ls -l scen*

Check what you've got so far.

rmdir scentemp

(remove dirirectory)

This command will remove a subdirectory if it is empty.

Final Checkpoint

"http://www.physics.udel.edu/~watson/scen103/99s/unix.html"
Last updated March 5, 1999.
Copyright George Watson, Univ. of Delaware, 1999.