The Obligatory Linux Thread

[robowurmz]

Since various conversations have been cropping up amongst us linux-users in other topics and leading them off track, I thought it'd be a good idea to have a thread in which we could all talk about it and it would still be relevant.

I'll continue my last subject:

Muzer, would jwm work just as a window manager without Puppy, or would I have to recompile it to use it on Debian?

[Plasma]

I'd be using Linux a lot more (aka: at least once) if I knew how to install drivers in it.

In other words, I have no clue on how to use Ubuntu.

[robowurmz]

How about this?
http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=468431&st=0

If it's graphics drivers, use EnvyNG.

[Muzer]

I'm not sure actually.

/me searches on the debian package website

Yes, there appears to be a debian package (http://packages.debian.org/search?suite=default&section=all&arch=any&searchon=names&keywords=jwm) for it, which means there will also be a Buntu package.

I do recommend that you at least try Puppy linux though. It is such a great distro it cannot be ignored.

[robowurmz]

I will definitely try Puppy, and I'll let you know how I get on with it and my aincient laptop when I get around to it.

I must say, jwm runs real sweet on Debian at the moment, no overhead at all. Lovely, just what I needed.

[b1llygo4t]

where can i go to get some noob help with ubuntu?

[franpa]

The official Ubuntu Manual/forum would be a good place to start... though theres 2 types of nvidia drivers and 2 methods to install them... and only 1 of the methods work (at least for me). Took forever (about a month) to finally get someone to point me to the other method in the manual when asking about it on there forums.

[b1llygo4t]

i had a similar problem with wireless drivers.

i found the ubuntu pocket guide, its helped a bit. im forcing myself to use ubuntu to try and become acquainted with it, its definitely daunting with the new jargon and little stuff throws me for a loop like the "/" and the terminal is insane. but i get double the battery life on my laptop and everything loads twice as fast. i like the no restart with updates, that is nice.

sry to vent here, im excited and i dont know anyone that uses linux.

to bad wormkit wont work...

[franpa]

I'm curious if theres a guide detailing what each command does but also provides valid examples for each use of each command. The Manual as far as I can tell, assumes you know what each command does or why a command is required for the action you want to perform.

[b1llygo4t]

chapter 5, hard copy pg. 75, pdf pg. 93 gets into everyday commands, examples included. chapter 6 gets into software commands (i havnt looked into yet)

nifty little book i gotta say

[robowurmz]

I'm curious if theres a guide detailing what each command does but also provides valid examples for each use of each command. The Manual as far as I can tell, assumes you know what each command does or why a command is required for the action you want to perform.

You can always type "man command" in the terminal. So say you wanted to know how to use the ps command:
man ps
Scroll up and down with the arrow keys, and move faster with PgUp and PgDown and press the Q key to quit when you're done reading.

There are usually examples near the bottom.

[b1llygo4t]

wow cool! is there a way to get a list of all commands?

[robowurmz]

wow cool! is there a way to get a list of all commands?

There's heaps, but I think this is a list of the most commonly-used ones.
alias - Create an alias

awk - Find and Replace text, database sort/validate/index

break - Exit from a loop

builtin - Run a shell builtin

cal - Display a calendar

cse - Conditionally perform a command

cat - Display the contents of a file

cd - Change Directory

cfdisk - Partition table manipulator for Linux

chgrp - Change group ownership

chmod - Change access permissions

chown - Change file owner and group

chroot - Run a command with a different root directory

cksum - Print CRC checksum and byte counts clear Clear terminal screen

cmp - Compare two files

comm - Compare two sorted files line by line

command - Run a command - ignoring shell functions

continue - Resume the next iteration of a loop

cp - Copy one or more files to another location

cron - Daemon to execute scheduled commands

crontab - Schedule a command to run at a later time

csplit - Split a file into context-determined pieces

cut - Divide a file into several parts

date - Display or change the date & time

dc - Desk Calculator

dd - Data Dump - Convert and copy a file

declare - Declare variables and give them attributes


df - Display free disk space

diff - Display the differences between two files

diff3 - Show differences among three files

dir - Briefly list directory contents

dircolors - Colour setup for `ls'

dirname - Convert a full pathname to just a path

dirs - Display list of remembered directories

du - Estimate file space usage

echo - Display message on screen ed A line-oriented text editor (edlin)

egrep - Search file(s) for lines that match an extended expression eject Eject CD-ROM

enable - Enable and disable builtin shell commands

env - Display, set, or remove environment variables

eval - Evaluate several commands/arguments

exec - Execute a command exit Exit the shell

expand - Convert tabs to spaces

export - Set an environment variable

expr - Evaluate expressions

factor - Print prime factors

false - Do nothing, unsuccessfully

fdformat - Low-level format a floppy disk

fdisk - Partition table manipulator for Linux

fgrep - Search file(s) for lines that match a fixed string

find - Search for files that meet a desired criteria

fmt - Reformat paragraph text

fold - Wrap text to fit a specified width.

for - Expand words, and execute commands format Format disks or tapes free Display memory usage

fsck - Filesystem consistency check and repair.

function - Define Function Macros

gawk - Find and Replace text within file(s)

getopts - Parse positional parameters

grep - Search file(s) for lines that match a given pattern

groups - Print group names a user is in

gzip - Compress or decompress named file(s)

hash - Remember the full pathname of a name argument

head - Output the first part of file(s)

history - Command History

hostname - Print or set system name

id - Print user and group id's

if - Conditionally perform a command

import - Capture an X server screen and save the image to file

info - Help info

install - Copy files and set attributes

join - Join lines on a common field

kill - Stop a process from running

less - Display output one screen at a time

let - Perform arithmetic on shell variables

ln - Make links between files

local - Create variables

locate - Find files

logname - Print current login name

logout - Exit a login shell

lpc - Line printer control program

lpr - Off line print lprint Print a file lprintd Abort a print job lprintq List the print queue

lprm - Remove jobs from the print queue

ls - List information about file(s)

m4 - Macro processor

man - Help manual

mkdir - Create new folder(s)

mkfifo - Make FIFOs (named pipes)

mknod - Make block or character special files

more - Display output one screen at a time

mount - Mount a file system

mtools - Manipulate MS-DOS files

mv - Move or rename files or directories

nice - Set the priority of a command or job

nl - Number lines and write files

nohup - Run a command immune to hangups

passwd - Modify a user password

paste - Merge lines of files pathchk Check file name portability

popd - Restore the previous value of the current directory

pr - Convert text files for printing printcap Printer capability database printenv Print environment variables

printf - Format and print data

ps - Process status

pushd - Save and then change the current directory

pwd - Print Working Directory

quota - Display disk usage and limits

quotacheck - Scan a file system for disk usage

quotactl - Set disk quotas

ram - ram disk device

rcp - Copy files between two machines.

read - read a line from standard input

readonly - Mark variables/functions as readonly remsync Synchronize remote files via email

return - Exit a shell function

rm - Remove files

rmdir - Remove folder(s)

rpm - Remote Package Manager

rsync - Remote file copy (Synchronize file trees) screen Terminal window manager

sdiff - Merge two files interactively

sed - Stream Editor

select - Accept keyboard input

seq - Print numeric sequences

set - Manipulate shell variables and functions

shift - Shift positional parameters

shopt - Shell Options

shutdown - Shutdown or restart linux

sleep - Delay for a specified time

sort - Sort text files

source - Run commands from a file `.'

split - Split a file into fixed-size pieces

su - Substitute user identity

sum - Print a checksum for a file

symlink - Make a new name for a file

sync - Synchronize data on disk with memory

tac - Concatenate and write files in reverse

tail - Output the last part of files

tar - Tape ARchiver

tee - Redirect output to multiple files

test - Evaluate a conditional expression

time - Measure Program Resource Use

times - User and system times

touch - Change file timestamps

top - List processes running on the system

traceroute - Trace Route to Host trap Run a command when a signal is set(bourne)

tr - Translate, squeeze, and/or delete characters

true - Do nothing, successfully

tsort - Topological sort

tty - Print filename of terminal on stdin

type - Describe a command

ulimit - Limit user resources

umask - Users file creation mask umount Unmount a device

unalias - Remove an alias

uname - Print system information

unexpand - Convert spaces to tabs

uniq - Uniquify files

units - Convert units from one scale to another

unset - Remove variable or function names

unshar - Unpack shell archive scripts

until - Execute commands (until error)

useradd - Create new user account

usermod - Modify user account

users - List users currently logged in

uuencode - Encode a binary file

uudecode - Decode a file created by uuencode v Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b') vdir Verbosely list directory contents (`ls -l -b')

watch - Execute/display a program periodically

wc - Print byte, word, and line counts

whereis - Report all known instances of a command

which - Locate a program file in the user's path.

while - Execute commands

who - Print all usernames currently logged in whoami Print the current user id and name (`id -un')

xargs - Execute utility, passing constructed argument list(s)

yes - Print a string until interrupted

.period - Run commands from a file

### - Comment / Remark

[FutureWorm]

yo b1llygo4t having a picture of yourself as your 'tar isn't helping you much. the rest of us on this boards are also pretty ugly bros but we don't emphasize that fact beyond what is necessary. hope this helps

[Muzer]

wow cool! is there a way to get a list of all commands?
for f in `echo $PATH | sed s/:/\ /g`; do ls $f; done


Warning: Will return a lot (each Linux command is also a program, so basically this just lists all programs...)


Type help to see all shell builtins (commands built into the shell you are using, like bash)

[Star Worms]

Is there a way to display similarities between two files (ie. the opposite of diff)?

[SupSuper]

Use comm.

[Star Worms]

That assumes the similarities will be on the same line though, does it not?

[Muzer]

That assumes the similarities will be on the same line though, does it not?
It assumes the lines are in the right order, but not necessarily the same numbers.


Also, it only detects the similarities between one full line, it doesn't detect similarities within an otherwise different line.

[b1llygo4t]

have you guys seen this yet? its a pocket laptop built to run a modified Ångström distro. its barely larger than a ds phat. it has a built in game pad with dual analog sticks, touch screen, 43 qwerty key. its designed to play emulators and legacy games.

http://openpandora.org/

im selling all my new gen consoles to get one.
sorry to derail the thread a little.

[*Splinter*]

have you guys seen this yet?

Yes, you already posted it in the other thread...

[Plasma]

Speaking of Linux, I re-installed Ubuntu today (I was clearing out my entire hard drive for Windows 7, and I wanted Windows Vista too, so it felt right) and finally updated to 9.04. If anyone wants to give me advice on something I should probably do, now's a good time.

Also, how important is having the Recovery and Memtest options set on GRUB? I prefer having a cleaner start-up menu.

[SupSuper]

Nice timing, Ubuntu 9.10 comes out on Thursday. :p