Log-in to the Unix Server A successful log-in allows access to the server through the Secure Shell. SSH, also known as Secure Shocket Shell, is a Unix based command interface. All commands follow the $ prompt.

List Folders in the Root Directory ls The list command shows all the files in the directory.

Open a Directory cd foldername eg. cd public_html This command allows the user to change from the root directory to a subdirectory.

Return to the Root Directory cd ~ This returns the command prompt directly back to the root directory Using the (ls) command after the (cd ~) command showed the files in the root directory.

Create a New Directory mkdir foldername Eg. mkdir mlis The make directory command is followed by a directory name to create a new directory.

Move Into a New Directory cd filename eg. cd mlis The cd filename command moves the prompt into a new directory.

Show History history The history command shows the last 10 typed commands. This could be helpful to a user who doesn’t want to search a lot of text to see his past commands.

Display Current Date & Time date The date command allows the user to view the date. It would be helpful for someone who is working on a deadline to easily note the time.

Display Users Who Are Logged Into the Server who The who command allows users to see who is active on the website. (I noticed some of my cohorts also on the server.)

Display Current Monthly Calendar cal The calendar command shows the current monthly calendar and would be helpful to someone trying to coordinate their schedule while communicating with another user on the server.

Delete Directory rmdir filename Eg. rmdir mlis The remove directory command allows a user to delete directories that are no longer necessary. The (ls) command confirmed that the directory was deleted.

List of Files in the Root Directory ls –l The list command allows user to look at the directory and a list of files is generated to show the permissions for each directory.

The Meaning of DRWXR This is a directory (d) showing if the user has read (r), write (w), and execute (x) permissions.

Search for a Specific Word grep filename eg. grep holly index.html Searching for a specific word within a file can be done with the command global regular expression print and the word the user is searching for.

LOG OUT of Unix exit The exit command allows the user to log out of the Unix system successfully. It is best practice to always log out to keep information secure.

Calendar for previous dates cal Eg. Cal This command shows the calendar for previous months and years. It would be an helpful command for a user who is looking for the day that a meeting was held in the past.

Disk free df This command shows how much disk space is available and would be helpful for a user who needs to create more space.

Why is the Mastery of Command Line Unix Important? A majority of webservers on the internet are Unix based, using either Linux or some other flavor of Unix-like operating system so it’s important to understand the inner workings of Unix. The skill is valuable to have as has practical applications for an Informational Technology professional.