Chapter Summary

   

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In this chapter, you learned some basics of the UNIX operating system. This included login and logout procedures, the superuser account, introduction to the UNIX shell and its startup files, and running UNIX commands. You also learned how to get help with UNIX commands and how to run multiple commands simultaneously . Options and arguments are used with most of the UNIX commands, and you know the difference between the two and how they are used.

Concepts and commands learned in this chapter are the most basic ones for UNIX users. Commands like uname , date , and who provide you with basic system information. The uname command shows the system name and operating system version installed on the system, while the date command shows system date and time. You use the who command to find out who is currently logged into the system. The w command provides additional information about how long the system has been running. You learned the use of command aliases and how you can use aliases to save time when typing long commands. The man command provides help whenever you need it. To list commands you have issued, you use the history command. From a system administration point of view, you learned about the system startup file, /etc/profile . Configuration of this file is an important task when adding users and setting an appropriate environment for them.

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