List of Unix utilities

This is a list of UNIX utilities as specified by IEEE Std 1003.1-2004, which is part of the Single UNIX Specification (SUS). These utilities can be found on UNIX Operating systems and most UNIX-like operating systems.

List

IEEE Std 1003.1-2001 utilities Name Category Description First appeared admin SCCSCreate and administer SCCSfiles aliasMisc Define or display aliases arMisc Create and maintain libraryarchives asa Text Processing Interpret carriage-control characters atProcess Management Execute commands at a later time Version 7 AT&T UNIX awkText processing Pattern scanning and processing language Version 7 AT&T UNIX basenameFilesystem Return non-directory portion of a pathname batchProcess Management Schedule commands to be executed in a batch queue bcMisc Arbitrary-precision arithmeticlanguage bgProcess Management Run jobs in the background break Shell programming Exit from for, while, or until loopc99 C Programming Compilestandard Cprograms calMisc Print a calendar Version 5 AT&T UNIX catFilesystem Concatenate and print files Version 1 AT&T UNIX cdFilesystem Change the working directory cflow C Programming Generate a C-language flowgraph chgrpFilesystem Change the file group ownership chmodFilesystem Change the file modes/attributes/permissions Version 1 AT&T UNIX chownFilesystem Change the file ownership Version 1 AT&T UNIX cksumFilesystem Write file checksumsand sizes 4.4BSD cmpFilesystem Compare two files Version 1 AT&T UNIX colon Shell Programming Null utility commText Processing Select or reject lines common to two files Version 4 AT&T UNIX command Shell Programming Execute a simple command compressFilesystem Compress data 4.3BSD continue Shell programming Continue for, while, or until loop cpFilesystem Copy files Version 1 AT&T UNIX crontabMisc Schedule periodic background work csplit Text Processing Split files based on context PWB UNIX ctagsC Programming Create a tags file 3.0BSD cutShell Programming Cut out selected fields of each line of a file cxref C Programming Generate a C-languageprogram cross-reference table dateMisc Write the date and time Version 1 AT&T UNIX ddFilesystem Convert and copy a file delta SCCS Make a delta (change) to an SCCS file dfFilesystem Report free disk space Version 1 AT&T UNIX diffText processing Compare two files dirnameFilesystem Return the directory portion of a pathname dot Shell programming Execute commands in the current environment duFilesystem Estimate file space usage Version 1 AT&T UNIX echoShell programming Write arguments to standard output edText processing The standard text editor Version 1 AT&T UNIX envMisc Set the environment for command invocation evalShell programming Construct command by concatenating arguments exText processing Text editor BSD execShell programming Execute commands and open, close, or copy file descriptors exitShell programming Cause the shell to exit expandText Processing Convert tabs to spaces 3.0BSD exportMisc Set the export attribute for variables exprShell Programming Evaluate arguments as an expression falseShell programming Return false value fc Misc Process the command history list fgProcess Management Run jobs in the foreground fileFilesystem Determine file type Version 4 AT&T UNIX findFilesystem Find files Version 1 AT&T UNIX fold Text processing Filter for folding lines fort77 C Programming FORTRANcompiler fuserProcess Management List process IDsof all processes that have one or more files open gencat Misc Generate a formatted message catalog get SCCS Get a version of an SCCS file getconf Misc Get configuration values getopts Shell Programming Parse utility options grepMisc Search text for a pattern hashMisc Remember or report utility locations headText processing Copy the first part of files PWB UNIX iconvText processing Codeset conversion idMisc Return user identity 4.4BSD ipcrmMisc Remove a message queue, semaphore set, or shared memory segment identifier ipcsMisc Report interprocess communication facilities status jobs Process Management Display status of jobs in the current session joinText Processing Relational databaseoperator killProcess Management Terminate or signal processes Version 3 AT&T UNIX lexC Programming Generate programs for lexical tasks linkFilesystem Call link function Version 1 AT&T UNIX lnFilesystem Link files Version 1 AT&T UNIX localeMisc Get locale-specific information localedef Misc Define locale environment logger Shell programming Log messages lognameMisc Return the user's login name 4.4BSD lpText Processing Send files to a printer lsFilesystem List directory contents Version 1 AT&T UNIX m4Misc Macro processor PWB UNIX mailxMisc Process messages Version 1 AT&T UNIX makeC Programming Maintain, update, and regenerate groups of programs manMisc Display system documentation mesgMisc Permit or deny messages Version 1 AT&T UNIX mkdirFilesystem Make directories Version 1 AT&T UNIX mkfifoFilesystem Make FIFOspecial files 4.4BSD moreText processing Display files on a page-by-page basis mvFilesystem Move files Version 1 AT&T UNIX newgrp Misc Change to a new group Version 6 AT&T UNIX niceProcess Management Invoke a utility with an altered nice value Version 4 AT&T UNIX nlText Processing Line numbering filter nmC Programming Write the name list of an object file nohupProcess Management Invoke a utility immune to hangups odMisc Dump files in various formats Version 1 AT&T UNIX pasteText processing Merge corresponding or subsequent lines of files Version 32V AT&T UNIX patchText processing Apply changes to files pathchk Filesystem Check pathnames paxMisc Portable archive interchange 4.4BSD pr Text processing Print files Version 1 AT&T UNIX printf Shell programming Write formatted output 4.3BSD-Reno prs SCCS Print an SCCS file psProcess Management Report process status Version 4 AT&T UNIX pwdFilesystem print working directory - Return working directory name qalter Batch Utilities Alter batch job qdel Batch Utilities Delete batch jobs qhold Batch Utilities Hold batch jobs qmove Batch Utilities Move batch jobs qmsg Batch Utilities Send message to batch jobs qrerun Batch Utilities Rerun batch jobs qrls Batch Utilities Release batch jobs qselect Batch Utilities Select batch jobs qsig Batch Utilities Signal batch jobs qstat Batch Utilities Show status of batch jobs qsub Batch Utilities Submit a script read Shell Programming Read a line from standard input readonly Misc Set the readonly attribute for variables reniceProcess Management Set nice values of running processes 4.0BSD return Shell Programming Return from a function rmFilesystem Remove directory entries Version 1 AT&T UNIX rmdel SCCS Remove a delta from an SCCS file rmdirFilesystem Remove directories Version 1 AT&T UNIX sact SCCS Print current SCCS file-editing activity sccs SCCSFront end for the SCCS subsystem sedText processing Stream editor Version 7 AT&T UNIX set Misc Set or unset options and positional parameters shShell programming Shell, the standard command language interpreter Version 7 AT&T UNIX shift Shell programming Shift positional parameters sleepShell programming Suspend execution for an interval Version 4 AT&T UNIX sortText Processing Sort, merge, or sequence check text files splitMisc Split files into pieces Version 3 AT&T UNIX stringsC Programming Find printable strings in files stripC Programming Remove unnecessary information from executable files stty Misc Set the options for a terminal tabs Misc Set terminal tabs PWB UNIX tailText processing Copy the last part of a file PWB UNIX talkMisc Talk to another user 4.2BSD teeShell programming Duplicate standard input testShell programming Evaluate expression timeProcess Management Time a simple command Version 3 AT&T UNIX times Process Management Write process times touchFilesystem Change file access and modification times Version 7 AT&T UNIX tputMisc Change terminalcharacteristics System V trText processing Translate characters trap Process Management Trap signals trueShell programming Return true value tsortText processing Topological sort Version 7 AT&T UNIX ttyMisc Return user's terminalname Version 1 AT&T UNIX typeMisc Write a description of command type ulimit Misc Set or report file size limit umaskMisc Get or set the file mode creation mask unaliasMisc Remove alias definitions unameMisc Return system name PWB UNIX uncompressMisc Expand compressed data 4.3BSD unexpandText Processing Convert spaces to tabs 3.0BSD unget SCCS Undo a previous get of an SCCS file uniqText Processing Report or filter out repeated lines in a file Version 3 AT&T UNIX unlinkFilesystem Call the unlink function Version 1 AT&T UNIX unsetMisc Unset values and attributes of variables and functions uucpNetwork System-to-system copy uudecodeNetwork Decode a binary file 4.0BSD uuencodeNetwork Encode a binary file 4.0BSD uustat Network uucpstatus inquiry and job control uux Process Management Remote command execution val SCCS Validate SCCS files viText processing Screen-oriented (visual) display editor BSD waitProcess Management Await process completion wcText processing Word, line, and byte or character count Version 1 AT&T UNIX what SCCS Identify SCCS files whoSystem Administration Display who is on the system Version 1 AT&T UNIX writeMisc Write to another user's terminal Version 1 AT&T UNIX xargsShell Programming Construct argument lists and invoke utility PWB UNIX yaccC Programming Yet another compilercompiler PWB UNIX zcatText Processing Expand and concatenate data