INTRODUCTION TO UNIX^®

1. Preface



2. Introduction and Background
1. Introduction
2. Unix Flavors
3. Unix Features
4. Unix Philosophy
3. Getting Started
1. Logging On & Off
2. On-line Manual
3. Commands & Command Format
4. Errors & Error Messages
5. Command Summary
6. Exercises
4. Unix Operating System Organization
5. The Unix File System
1. Introduction to Unix File System
2. File Types
3. File System Navagation
4. File Attributes
5. Understanding and Modifying File Permissions
6. Addtional File System Manipulation
7. File System Miscellany
8. Command Summary
9. Exercises
6. Processes and the Unix Shell
1. Introduction to Processes
2. The Startup Sequence
3. Password Verificataion
4. Introduction to the Shell
7. Editing Text Files
1. Exercises
8. More On Processes
1. Process Status
2. More With fork and exec
3. Process Control
4. Command Summary
5. Exercises
9. Introduction to Shell Programming
1. General Introduction
2. dot Revisited
3. Programs, Processes and Dots
4. Shell Program Miscellany
5. Command Summary
10. Unix Variables
1. Introduction to Variables
2. Variables and Child Processes
3. Startup Files and Variables
4. Arithmetic Using Variables
5. Other Shell Variables
6. Command Summary



11. Quotes and Other Special Characters
1. Backslash
2. Single Quotes
3. Double Quotes
4. Back Quotes
5. Quote Summary
6. Command Summary
12. I/O Redirection and Pipes
1. I/O Redirection
2. Pipe Operator
3. Filters Are Our Friends
4. Command Summary
13. Program Control Statements
1. Conditional Testing Statements
2. Conditional Execution Statements
3. Iterative Statements
4. Command Summary
14. Program Input
1. Program Input Using Read
2. Using Read With Redirection
15. Odds and Ends
1. Functions
2. Finding Files
3. Conditional Control Operators
16. Glossary
17. Additional Resources
18. References
19. About the Author

©2026, Mark A. Thomas. All Rights Reserved. This document may be freely reproduced provided that this copyright notice is included. Please send comments or suggestions to the author.

UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the United States and other countries.

Updated: Apr 1, 2020