Equivalent UNIX and DOS commands

Published   Read time 3 min(s) 3 sec(s)   (2865 views).  Linux  

As a seasoned techie I have had the pleasure of running with PCs before the days of Microsoft Windows (DOS DOS DOS) when edlin was the only text editor available. If you are new to UNIX/Linux from a PC background you can use this post to see some of the similarities between Windows DOS commands and the equivalent UNIX/Linux commands.

DOS / UNIX Commands

ActionDOSUNIX
change directory CD cd
change file protection ATTRIB chmod
compare files COMP diff
copy file COPY cp
Copy all files of a directory recursively XCOPY cp -R
delete file DEL rm
delete directory

RMDIR

RD

 rmdir
Remove all directories and files below given directory RMDIR /S DELTREE rm -R

directory list

--list files and size

-- lisr directory/sub directory

-- list hidden files

DIR

DIR /V /OS

DIR /S

DIR /AA

ls

ls -ls

ls -R

ls -a
List directory recursively TREE ls -R
edit a file EDIT pico
environment SET printenv
find string in file FIND grep
help HELP man
make directory MD mkdir
move file MOVE mv
rename file REN mv
show date and time DATE, TIME date
show disk space CHKDSK df
show file TYPE cat
show file by screens TYPE FILENAME | MORE more
sort data SORT sort
Check and repair hard drive file system SCANDISK DEFRAG fsck debugfs
Shouw routes and router hops to given network destination TRACERT traceroute
Display/configure network interface IPCONFIG WINIPCFG ifconfig
List command history DOSKEY /H history
Online help/manuals HELP COMMAND /? man
Look for a word in files given in command line FIND FINDSTR grep
Change file permissions/ownershop ATTRIB chmod chown chgrp
List executable name,process id TASKLIST ps -efa ps aux top
Print routing table ROUTE PRINT route -n
Clear screen CLS clear
Text/Line Editor EDLIN ed ex vi
Start graphical desktop WIN startx
Change command prompt PROMPT export PS1=
Create a file link ASSIGN ln ln -s
Start a job in the background START COMMAND /C command &
Display date/time DATE /T TIME /T date

I might add some more commands at a later date, but I guess a search on the web will give more that I am listing

There is a document available @ ftp://www-uxsup.csx.cam.ac.uk/pub/doc/redhat/redhat6.2/gsg-62/ch-doslinux.html which provides more DOS/UNIX commands

For more indepth UNIX/Linux equiv, follow this link to the UNIX/Linux Rosetta Stone http://bhami.com/rosetta.html

Batch file/Shell Script

Batch file OperatorShell script equivalentMeaning
% $ command-line parameter prefix
/ - command option flag
\ / directory path separator
== = (equal-to) string comparison test
!==! != (not equal-to) string comparison test
| | pipe
@ set +v do not echo current command
* * filename "wild card"
> > file redirection (overwrite)
>> >> file redirection (append)
< < redirect stdin
%VAR% $VAR environmental variable
REM # comment
NOT ! negate following test
NUL /dev/null "black hole" for burying command output
ECHO echo echo (many more option in Bash)
ECHO. echo echo blank line
ECHO OFF set +v do not echo command(s) following
FOR %%VAR IN (LIST) DO for var in [list]; do "for" loop
:LABEL none (unnecessary) label
GOTO none (use a function) jump to another location in the script
PAUSE sleep pause or wait an interval
CHOICE case or select menu choice
IF if if-test
IF EXIST FILENAME if [ -e filename ] test if file exists
IF !%N==! if [ -z "$N" ] if replaceable parameter "N" not present
CALL source or . (dot operator) "include" another script
COMMAND /C source or . (dot operator) "include" another script (same as CALL)
SET export set an environmental variable
SHIFT shift left shift command-line argument list
SGN -lt or -gt sign (of integer)
ERRORLEVEL $? exit status