A CDE Definition
LOOK UP ANOTHER TERM
Unix commands
Unix was developed as a command line interface in the early 1970s with a very rich command vocabulary. DOS followed more than a decade later for the IBM PC, and DOS commands migrated to Windows. Although DOS/Windows commands cover the basics, the command set was never as elaborate as Unix. Microsoft later added a more comprehensive command language for Windows (see PowerShell).
Linux and Mac Are Unix Based
Linux, as well as Mac OS X, are based on Unix and use the same command line syntax (see terminal). Unix text is generally case sensitive, which means "abC" is not the same as "ABc." DOS/Windows text is not however, and "abC" and "ABc" are equal. Following is a brief comparison of common Unix/Linux commands and their DOS/Windows counterparts.
FILE/FOLDER
OPERATION UNIX DOS/WINDOWS
Change **
directory cd cd
Create **
directory mkdir mkdir, md
Remove **
directory rmdir rmdir, rd
List file
names ls dir
Copy file cp copy
Delete file rm del
Rename file mv ren
Display file
contents cat type
Print file lpr print
** A "directory" is a folder.
Before/After Your Search Term
Terms By Topic
Click any of the following categories for a list of fundamental terms.