1. Login Being logged into a command line prompt allows a user to easily and simply execute multiple commands (one-by-one or at the same time) that would otherwise be time-consuming or impossible in a typical finder application.

2. Listing Folders in the Root Directory Listing folders in the root directory is useful because it allows the users to see a complete list of their files on a server or computer. The list supplied is concise and contained all in one place rather than spread around, as is typically seen on a computer.

3. Changing into a Listed Directory The “cd” command is useful because it allows a user to quickly enter into the desired listed directory without multiple clicks of a mouse.

4. Moving Back A second useful ability of the “cd” command is to move up or back one level within the directory. This allows the user to move back and forth without having to return to the root directory and reenter commands to switch to a different folder within a directory.

5. New Directory The “mkdir” command is useful because it allows a user to create a new directory within the root directory. Items can then be added, deleted, or moved around within the new directory and older directories.

6. Moving Into the New Directory The “cd” command is once again used to move into a newly created directory. Once inside the directory a user can see what is or is not contained within it. The user can also execute additional commands to add items to the directory.

7. Last 10 Commands The “history” command is useful for a user to see their last 10 executed commands. This command allows users to see what directories they have may have entered, edited, exited, or deleted. Additionally, they can see if they have made any errors.

8. Current Date The “date” command is useful because it shows the current date, time, and time zone. It is also useful because it time stamps their work with the exact time, therefore giving them a reference point within their work.

9. Other Users on the Server The “who” command is used to see who is also accessing the server at the moment the command is executed. This is useful because it allows the user to see who is making changes and where from.

10. Current Month Calendar The “cal” command is used to access a calendar for the current month. This is useful because it allows the user to quickly see a calendar, rather than clicking multiple times to access the computer on the regular computer interface. Much like the date, the “cal” command serves as quick reference.

11. Deleting Directories The “rmdir” command is used to remove a directory. This command is useful because it allows a user to quickly remove a directory that is no longer needed or wanted. The user is however unable to delete a directory while within it, which acts as a failsafe in the case of a user error.

12. Assigned Directory Permissions The “ls –l” command is used to see directory permissions for each of the directories and files within the root directory or a specific directory. The command displays the name of the files, date created, size of the file, and their permissions. This command is useful because it allows a user to quickly and concisely see what is contained in a specific directory, who has access to it, and their level of access, and the size of the file.

13. d r w x r? Each letter in the string “d r w x r” has a specific meaning to a user of a command line program. The grouping of the letters also has a specific meaning. “d”- the “d” stands for directory. In some cases a user will see a “-” instead of a “d,” this means it is a file rather than a directory. “r”- the “r” stands for read. The user has the ability to read the directory or file. “w”- the “w” stands for write. The user has the ability to write the directory or file. “x”- the “x” stands for execute. The user has the ability to execute commands within the directory or file. The first set “rwx” is the user class. The second set of letters, “r-x” is the group class. The third set of letters, “r-x” is the other class. The first example shown above has “d rwx r-x r-x.” The first set, the user, has permission to read, write, and execute commands within the directory. The second set, the group, has permission to read and execute commands within the directory, but not to write. The final set, the others class, has permission to read and execute commands within the directory, but not write. This information is useful to a user of a command line program because it allows them to quickly and concisely see who can read, write, and execute commands on all the directories and/or files within a directory.

14. Searching for a Specific Word The “grep” command is used to search for specific instances of a word or phrase. This command is useful because it allows a user to quickly search an entire directory or directories for a specific word or phrase. This is simpler and quicker than searching on the typical user interface because it allows for complex search strings in one command.

15. Logging Out The “exit” command is useful because it logs the user out of the server they were on. Logging out ensures that no additional commands are executed or changes made.

16. Calculator The “dc” command allows the user to access the calculator function. This is useful because it allows the user to quickly complete a calculation with out having to search and use the calculator on the regular computer interface. This can save time when they are working on a project within the server.

17. Seeing One Page at a Time The “more” command allows a user to see the text of a text file one page at a time. This command is useful because users can see the text of a file, located within a directory, in manageable segments.

18. Online Manual a.k.a Help Command The “man” command is used to access to the online Unix manual. This is useful as a quick reference for a user who is working with a command line program and does not want to leave the program. The user can look up a command such as “ls” and the manual will provide information about it.

19. Mastering command line Unix Mastering command line Unix is extremely important for information professionals because it allows them to begin to understand how programs and operating systems are built. Additionally, it helps information professionals to understand what the tech guys are doing and talking about when they are working on computers and solving problems.