Linux MS-DOS Command CheatSheet


Purpose             MS-DOS      Linux   Basic Linux Example

Copies files        copy        cp      cp thisfile.txt /home/thisdirectory
Moves files         move        mv      mv thisfile.txt /home/thisdirectory
Lists files         dir         ls      ls thisfile.txt /home/thisdirectory
Clears screen       cls         clear   clear
Closes shell        exit        exit    exit
Displays/set date   date        date    date
Deletes files       del         rm      rm thisfile.txt
"Echo"              echo        echo    echo this message
Edits text files    edit        vim     vim thisfile.txt
Compare content     fc          diff    diff file1 file2
Find string of text find        grep    grep word or phrase thisfile.txt
Displays  help      command /?  man     man command
Creates a directory mkdir       mkdir   mkdir directory
Views file contents more        less([b])   less thisfile.txt
Renames a file      ren     mv([c])     mv thisfile.txt thatfile.txt
Display fs location chdir       pwd     pwd
Change dir abs path cd pathname cd pathname cd /directory/directory
Change dir relative cd..        cd ..   cd ..
Displays the time   time        date    date
Amount RAM in use   mem         free    free

Notes:

  • The more pager can also be used to page through a file one screen at a time.

  • The mv command can both move a file and, if you want to rename a file in the same directory, “move” that file to the same directory with a new name.

Source