Unix Concepts

Alias
Allows you to save time when using a command for which you always want to use the same arguments

• example: want color output for grep command
  • set your alias as follows:

    alias grep='grep --color'

  • now when you type grep it will always be in color (this session only, permanent changes need to go in your .bashrc file)
• to set an alias for this session only, see alias command in UnixCommands
• to permanently set an alias for a command, you will need to add the alias to your .bashrc file

Symbolic (Soft) and Hard Links
hard links

• contains the same i-node number as the file it links to
• must be on the same filesystem as the file it links to

   ln filename filename-hardlink 

  
  

• allows linking across filesystems
• contains the pathname to the file to which it links to

   ln -s filename filename-symlink 

-- RobertSajan - 14 May 2008