Linux Commands and UNIX Commands for Server are very useful for Administration and Management of Web Server. We have compiled the list from various Text Books. Just like in our guide, Install WordPress on Rackspace Cloud Server we have used several basic, advanced and some typical shortcuts of Linux Commands and UNIX Commands. Linux Commands and UNIX Commands are basic and the quality of web hosting depends on the support team’s grasp on these Linux Commands and UNIX Commands. There are many great text books on Linux Commands and UNIX Commands, we have only mentioned the very useful Linux Commands.
List of Linux Commands and UNIX Commands mostly used
We have mostly mentioned the commands which can be used on Red Hat Linux. Especially with SuSe, there might be a bit difference on sytax usage of these Linux Commands and UNIX Commands.
at | execute an action at a specified time |
awk | programming language to process files |
cat | lists the contents of a dir |
cd | Changing Directories |
chgrp | exchange group file |
chmod | change the access rights to a file |
chown | change of ownership of a file |
cp | copy file |
cut | mainly used in scripts to cut |
date | shows / changes the date |
df | displays the available space |
diff | displays the difference between two files |
du | shows the disk space used |
egrep | Search |
find | File Search |
ftp | file transfer |
grep | file search |
history | list of commands used in the system |
kill | stop an ongoing process |
sh ou ksh ou rsh | call from a shell |
ln | creates a link to a file |
lp ou lpr | redirection to the printer |
lpstat | Information on printers |
ls | list of files |
mail; mailx | displays and sends messages |
man [ command ] | help on a command |
mkdir | creates a folder |
more | displays a file page by page |
mv | moves a file |
passwd | change the password |
ps | switch user |
pwd | affiche le chemin du dossier en cours |
rlogin [ user ] | connection to another machine |
rlogin -l user machine | connection to another machine |
rm | destroyed a file |
rmdir | destroyed a dir |
wget | fetch a file / download a file |
rusers | list users connected to the network |
set | view the environment variables |
sh | opens the basic shell |
tar | tar a file or dir |
tee | duplique un flux de données |
vi | system editor named vi |
yum install | Update / Install Packages |
Usage of Linux Commands and UNIX Commands
Here are some usage of the Linux Commands and UNIX Commands, please try to correlate these with Install WordPress on Rackspace Cloud Server guide.
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We have changed the directory in this way by using cd (vide the list of Linux commands above) :
cd /var/www/html/
We have downloaded the WordPress (escaping the download from webpage, then uncompress, then upload via ftp) with a single line :
wget http://wordpress.org/latest.tar.gz
Now, it is a tar file (compressed), to make it usable, we need to untar it :
tar xvzf latest
Now give a special attention :
mv /wordpress* .
Can you see the dot ? This is one of the fantastic commands of UNIX. Note the dot “ its moving everything to dot “ your current directory. Give a space between * and dot.
yum -y install httpd php mysql mysql-server php-mysql
Another beauty to UNIX / Linux Commands. Note the -y, you need not to accept the prompts manually. We have installed Apache, MySQL, PHP with just one command line.

Is this written for humans or machines?
Machines.