Commands
The commands implemented by coreutils are listed below. Throughout this article and customary for Unix-based systems, the term ''file'' refers to all file system items including regular files and special files such as directories.File utilities
*chcon Changes file security context ( SELinux)
* chgrp
, short for change group, is a shell command for changing the group associated with a Unix-based file system file including special files such as directories. Changing the group of a file is restricted to a super-user (such as via ) or to ...
Changes file group ownership
* chown
, short for change owner, is a shell command for changing the owning user of Unix-based file system files including special files such as directories.
The ownership of a file may only be altered by a super-user (such as via sudo). A reg ...
Changes file user ownership
* chmod
is a shell command for changing access permissions and special mode flags of files (including special files such as directories). The name is short for ''change mode'' where ''mode'' refers to the permissions and flags collectively.
The co ...
Changes file permissions
* cp Copies files
* dd Copies and converts file data
* df Reports file system free space
* dir Like ls -C -b; by default lists files in columns, sorted vertically
* dircolors Configures colors used for ls output
* install Copies files and sets file attributes
* ln Creates a link to a file
* ls Lists files
* mkdir
(make directory) command (computing), command in the Unix, DOS, Digital Research, DR FlexOS, IBM OS/2, Microsoft Windows, and ReactOS operating systems is used to make a new directory (file systems), directory. It is also available in the Unified ...
Creates directories
* mkfifo Creates named pipes (FIFOs)
* mknod Creates block or character special files
* mktemp Creates temporary regular files or directories
* mv Moves and renames files
* realpath Reports the absolute or relative path of a file
* rm Deletes files
* rmdir
In computing, rmdir (or rd) is a command which will remove an empty directory on various operating systems.
Implementations
The command is available in Unix (e.g. macOS, Solaris, AIX, HP-UX), Unix-like (e.g. FreeBSD, Linux), DOS, Digital ...
Deletes empty directories
* shred Overwrites a file to hide its contents and optionally deletes it
* sync Flushes file system buffers
* touch
The somatosensory system, or somatic sensory system is a subset of the sensory nervous system. The main functions of the somatosensory system are the perception of external stimuli, the perception of internal stimuli, and the regulation of bo ...
Changes file timestamps; creating files if they do not exist
* truncate Sets the size of a file via truncation or extension
* vdir Like ls -l -b; by default lists files in long format
Text utilities
*b2sum Computes and checks BLAKE2b message digest
* base32 Encodes or decodes base64 Encodes or decodes basenc Encodes or decodes various encodings including cat Concatenates files
* cksum Report or compute the checksum of files
* comm Compares two sorted files line by line
* csplit Splits a file into sections determined by context lines
* cut Removes sections from each line of files
* expand Converts tabs to spaces
* fmt Formats text
* fold Wraps each input line to fit in specified width
* head
A head is the part of an organism which usually includes the ears, brain, forehead, cheeks, chin, eyes, nose, and mouth, each of which aid in various sensory functions such as sight, hearing, smell, and taste. Some very simple ani ...
Outputs the first part of files
* join Joins lines of two files on a common field
* md5sum Computes and checks MD5 message digest
* nl Numbers lines of files
* numfmt Formats numbers
* od Dumps files in octal and other formats
* paste Merges lines of files
* ptx Produces a permuted index of file contents
* pr Paginates or columnates files
* sha1sum, sha224sum, sha256sum, sha384sum, sha512sum Computes and checks shuf Generates random permutations
* sort Sorts lines of text files
* split Splits a file into pieces
* sum Checksums and counts the blocks in a file
* tac Concatenates files in reverse order; line by line
* tail
The tail is the elongated section at the rear end of a bilaterian animal's body; in general, the term refers to a distinct, flexible appendage extending backwards from the midline of the torso. In vertebrate animals that evolution, evolved to los ...
Outputs the last part of files
* tr Translates or deletes characters
* tsort Performs a topological sort
* unexpand Converts spaces to tabs
* uniq Removes duplicate lines from a sorted file
* wc Reports the number of bytes, words, and lines in files
Shell utilities
*arch
An arch is a curved vertical structure spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th millennium BC, but stru ...
Reports machine hardware name; same as
* basename Removes the path prefix from a given pathname
* chroot
chroot is a shell (computer), shell command (computing), command and a system call on Unix and Unix-like operating systems that changes the apparent root directory for the current running process and its Child process, children. A program that i ...
Changes the root directory
* date Reports or sets the system date and time
* dirname Strips non-directory suffix from file name
* du Shows disk usage on file systems
* echo Outputs text
* env Reports and modifies expr Evaluates expressions
* factor Factors numbers
* false Does nothing but exit with unsuccessful status
* groups Reports the groups of which the user is a member
* hostid Reports the numeric identifier for the current host
* id Reports the real or effective UID and GID
* link Creates a link to a file
* logname Reports the user's login name
* nice
Nice ( ; ) is a city in and the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes department in France. The Nice agglomeration extends far beyond the administrative city limits, with a population of nearly one millionscheduling priority
* nohup Allows a command to continue running after logging out
* nproc Queries the number of (active) processors
* pathchk Checks whether file names are valid or portable
* pinky A lightweight version of finger
A finger is a prominent digit (anatomy), digit on the forelimbs of most tetrapod vertebrate animals, especially those with prehensile extremities (i.e. hands) such as humans and other primates. Most tetrapods have five digits (dactyly, pentadact ...
* printenv Reports environment variable
An environment variable is a user-definable value that can affect the way running processes will behave on a computer. Environment variables are part of the environment in which a process runs. For example, a running process can query the va ...
s
* printf Formats text
* pwd Reports the current working directory
* readlink Reports the value of a symbolic link
In computing, a symbolic link (also symlink or soft link) is a file whose purpose is to point to a file or directory (called the "target") by specifying a path thereto.
Symbolic links are supported by POSIX and by most Unix-like operating syste ...
* runcon Run command with specified security context
* seq Reports a sequence of numbers
* sleep
Sleep is a state of reduced mental and physical activity in which consciousness is altered and certain Sensory nervous system, sensory activity is inhibited. During sleep, there is a marked decrease in muscle activity and interactions with th ...
Blocks (delays, waits) for a specified amount of time
* stat Reports information about an inode
An inode (index node) is a data structure in a Unix-style file system that describes a file-system object such as a file or a directory. Each inode stores the attributes and disk block locations of the object's data. File-system object attribu ...
* stdbuf Runs a command with custom standard streams configuration
* stty
This is a list of the Shell (computing), shell command (computing), commands of the most recent version of the Portable Operating System Interface (POSIX) Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, IEEE Std 1003.1-2024 which is part of t ...
Changes and reports terminal line settings
* tee Sends output to multiple files
* test Evaluates an expression
* timeout Runs a command with a time limit
A time limit or deadline is a narrow field of time, or a particular point in time, by which an objective or task must be accomplished. Once that time has passed, the item may be considered overdue (e.g., for work projects or school assignments). In ...
* true
True most commonly refers to truth, the state of being in congruence with fact or reality.
True may also refer to:
Places
* True, West Virginia, an unincorporated community in the United States
* True, Wisconsin, a town in the United States
* ...
Does nothing but exit with success status
* tty Reports the terminal name
* uname Reports system information
* unlink Removes files via unlink() function
* uptime Reports how long the system has been running
* users Reports the user names of users currently logged into the current host
* who Reports logged-in users
* whoami Reports the effective userid
* yes Outputs a string repeatedly
* test that enables expressions like /code> Synonym for test that enables expressions like [ ''expression'' /code>
History
In 1990, David MacKenzie announced ''GNU fileutils''.
In 1991, MacKenzie announced ''GNU shellutils'' and ''GNU textutils''. Moreover, Jim Meyering became the maintainer of the packages (known now as coreutils) and has remained so since.
In September 2002, the ''GNU coreutils'' were created by merging the earlier packages ''textutils'', ''shellutils'', and ''fileutils'', along with some other miscellaneous utilities.
In July 2007, the license of the GNU coreutils was updated from GPL-2.0-or-later to GNU General Public License#Version 3">GPL-3.0-or-later.
See also
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References
External links
*
Manual
README
- An alternative set of utilities
opensource.com article: gnu-core-utilities on 4 Apr 2018 by David Both (Correspondent)
– configurable list of equivalent programs for *nix systems.
The Unix Acronym List
– explains the names of many Unix commands.
The UNIX System Homepage
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