Cheat Sheet
Basic Linux Commands
SSH and File Transfer
SSH - Secure Shell
ssh [username]@[server].eecs.csuohio.edu
Allows you to remotely connect to a school server.
If outside the school Wi-Fi, you can only connect to spirit or grail first.
Once connected to spirit or grail, you can SSH into any other school server.
grail is for turning in assignments only, not for work.
SCP - Secure Copy
scp [file] [username]@[server].eecs.csuohio.edu:[directory]
Copies a file from your computer to the school server.
Use ~ for your home directory or specify a full path, e.g., ~/CIS340/Assignment1.
All servers share the same directories and files.
File and Directory Management
List Directory Contents
ls
Displays the contents of your current directory (folder).
You start in your home directory upon connecting to a school server.
Create a Directory
mkdir [name]
Creates a new directory (folder).
Useful for organizing coursework, e.g., mkdir CIS340.
Remove Files or Directories
rm [directory/file]
Deletes a file or directory completely, including all its contents.
Change Directory
cd [directory]
Navigates into a directory.
Use cd .. to move up one directory level.
Create a File / Update Timestamp
touch [file]
Updates the last accessed timestamp of a file.
If the file does not exist, it creates a new empty file.
Editing and Modifying Files
Text Editor (Nano)
nano [file]
Opens a simple built-in text editor to modify text files.
Echo Text Output
echo [string]
Displays a string in the terminal.
echo [string] > [file]
Writes the string into a file (overwrites existing content).
echo [string] >> [file]
Appends the string to the end of an existing file.
Move / Rename Files and Directories
mv [source] [destination]
Moves a file or directory to another location.
Moving a file to another file renames it.
Moving a file to a directory places it inside that directory.
Copy Files and Directories
cp [file] [destination]
Copies a file to another file or directory.
If copying to a file, it will overwrite the existing file.
If copying to a directory, it keeps the original name.
Redirection >
[command] > filename.txt
Creates new file and writes the output of the command as lines of text to the new file.
For example, ls > ls.txt wites the contents of the current directory to a file named ls.txt which it puts in the current directory.
cat > catRedirect.txt will write any following lines you type into catRedirect.txt (since executing cat by itself repeats back at you whatever you type). That output becomes the input for thr file. Press ctrl+c to exit out of the running cat command.
Pipes |
[command] | [command]
The output of the first command becomes the input of the first command.
These can be chained together, so output of one command becomes the input of anouther, whose output goes to another command, so you can execute mutiple operations one file or directory in succession, each building on the next.
Assignment Submission
Turn in Assignments
turnin -c [class] -p [assignment] [file]
Used to submit assignments via the server.
Only available on grail.
Must run this command from the directory containing the file.
Your professor will provide the correct parameters for each assignment.
Exiting the Server
Close Connection
exit
Logs you out of the server.
Not required but recommended for good practice.