A Quick Guide to Getting around in UNIX --------------------------------------- When you login you are placed in your home directory. A few default "." (configuration) files have been setup for you, but otherwise your directory is empty. You can get a listing of the current directory by using the "ls" command (short for 'list'). This is like the DOS "dir" command, but you need to specify some options (followed by a dash) to get detaila. To get a more detailed listing including the"dot files", type "ls -lags". To traverse to another directory you use the "cd" (change directory) command. This command takes an argument of the directory you wish to change to. Either an absolute or relative path argument can be specified. Absolute paths begin at the "root" of the unix file system (/). Relative paths begin from the currect working directory. For example, if you are in your home directory, you can get to the next lower directory "letters" by typing "cd letters". Typing "cd" by itself gets you to your home directory. To create a directory, use the "mkdir" command, e.g. "mkdir myScripts". Note that file and directory names in UNIX are case-sensitive. "myScripts" is not the same as "myscripts". To print out the current working directory you can use the "pwd" (Print Working Directory) command. You can examine text files (such as all of our README files) using the "more" command. This command will display a screenful (or 24 lines) of a files at a time. Pressing space bar displays the next bunch of lines. Pressing return displays one additonal line. Pressing "'" returns you to the top of the file and "q" will exit the more. For example, "more tutorial1.g" will display the contents of the file "tutorial1.g", if it exists in the current working directory. Other useful commands are "rm", meaning remove or delete, as in "rm junk.mail", and "cp" to copy one file into another, as in "cp myletter.jim oldletter.jim". "mv" is used to rename a file or move it to a different directory, instead of copying it. The two most common text editors for UNIX are 'vi' and 'emacs'. If you are not familiar with either editor, you may find it easier to learn emacs. For an even simpler text editor with built-in help, try 'pico' if it is installed. If you are using Linux with the GNOME or KDE desktop, try 'gedit' or 'kedit". The standard program for reading email on UNIX is called "mail". You can find more about it with "man mail". The "pine" program is much more user-friendly and has built in help. The Netscape browser is also good for reading mail. Documentation for most UNIX commands can be obtained with the "man" command. For example "man ls" will tell you about all the options for the "ls" command.