| VMS command | Unix equivalent |
|---|---|
| APPEND | cat concatenates files. If contents of file1 need to be placed at the end of file2 issue the following unix command.cat file1 >> file2 |
| x=,x:= | = (Bourne and Korn) , set (C shell) |
| x==,x:== | same as = followed by export |
| ASSIGN,DEFINE | if file,directory alias definition: ln , ln -s hard and soft links |
| DEFINE | variable definitions (no real equivalent!) |
| DIRECTORY | ls |
| ATTACH | fg |
| BACKUP | tar or pax : back up files into a tar file. |
| BACKUP/INIT | tar -c or pax : Restore files. |
| BACKUP/LIST | tar -t : List contents. |
| BACKUP/LOG | tar -v : Report progress. |
| BACKUP/NOREWIND | tar -r : Write at end of existing backup (tar) files. |
| BACKUP/RECORD | tar -m : Update file's modification date upon restore. |
| COPY | cp : Copy a file |
| COPY/CONFIRM | cp -i : Confirm before copying. |
| COPY/FTP or FTP | ftp : Copy to/from a nontrusted remote host. |
| COPY/RCP, RCP,SCP,SFTP | rcp,scp,sftp : Copy to/from a trusted remote host. |
| CREATE | touch : Create or update a file. |
| CREATE/DIRECTORY | mkdir : Create a subdirectory. |
| CREATE filename | cat >filename : create a file from keyboard input |
| DEBUG | dbx : Debug a program. |
| DELETE | rm : Delete a file. |
| DELETE/CONFIRM | rm -i : Confirm deletion. |
| DELETE/ENTRY | lprm : Remove queued line printer job. |
| DELETE/QUEUE | lprm -P : Remove all jobs from the queue. |
| DELETE/LOG | rm -e : Delete files and list them as they are deleted. |
| DELETE/SYMBOL | unset : Get rid of an environment variable. |
| DELETE x.DIR; | rmdir : Delete an empty subdirectory. |
| DIFFERENCES | diff : Display all differences in files or directories. |
| DIFF/MAXIMUM_DIFF=1 | cmp : Display first difference in two files (typically used with binary files). |
| DIFF/NUMBER NL: | cat -n : Display a file with line numbers. |
| DIFF/SLP | diff - e : Generate editing changes for the ed editor. |
| DIRECTORY [...] | ls -R : Do a recursive directory/list of files. |
| DIRECTORY [...] | find : Find a file |
| DIRECTORY *.DIR | ls -d : List directory name(s) only ls -Rd |
| DIRECTORY | ls : List files. |
| DIRECTORY/BY_OWNER | ls -l dir | grep owner : List only those files owned by a specifed user. |
| DIRECTORY/COLUMN | ls -1 : List one file per line. |
| DIRECTORY/DATE | ls -c : List by creation/last modification. |
| DIRECTORY/FULL | ls -l : Long listing. |
| DIRECTORY/TOTAL | du : Summarize disk usage. |
| DIRECTORY/MODIFIED/SINCE [...] | find -mtime +n : Modified more than n days ago. |
| DIRECTORY/MODIFIED /BEFORE [...] | find -mtime +n : Modified more than n days ago. |
| DIRECTORY/OWNER | ls -g : Include group (used with |). |
| DIRECTORY/SIZE | ls -s : Include size. |
| DISMOUNT/UNLOAD | mt rewofmt offline : Rewind and unload the tape. |
| DUMP | od : Dump a file in various formats. |
| DUMP/HEXADECIMAL | od -h : Hexadecimal dump. |
| DUMP/OCTAL | od -o : Octal dump. |
| EDIT/EDT,EDIT/EVE,EVE | vi : Screen editor session. |
| EDIT/RECOVER | vi -r : Recover a screen editing session. |
| EXCHANGE | dd : Back up, restore, and convert nonstandard files. |
| EXIT | exit : Terminate a script. |
| HELP | man : Display online reference pages. |
| HELP HINTS | man -k topic : Display a list of commands that correspond to the specified topic. |
| INQUIRE/NOPUNCTUATION | read choice? : Prompt for a responce and put the response into an environment variable. |
| INITIALIZE device: | fddisk -fmt device : Format a diskette. |
| LIBRARY | ar : Library maintainer. |
| LIBRARY/CREATE | ar -cr : Create library. |
| LIBRARY/EXTRACT | ar -x : Extract modules. |
| LIBRARY/INSERT | ar -q : Insert modules. |
| LIBRARY/LIST | ar -t : List modules. |
| LIBRARY/REPLACE | ar -r : Replace modules. |
| LINK | ld : Link compiled source code into an executable image. |
| login procedure | .login .cshrc .profile .kshrc Set of commands automatically executed at login time. On OpenVMS, LOGIN/CLI specifies an alternate command language interpreter. |
| LOGOUT | logout C shell exit Bourne and Korn shell Terminate a terminal session. |
| mail : Invoke the mail utility. | |
| MERGE | sort -m : Merge sorted files. |
| MOUNT | mount : Mount a tape. |
| ON COUNTROL_C THEN | trap 2 : Enable handler for Stop signal. |
| ON CONTROL_Y | onintr : On interrupt. |
| PHONE | talk tty name : Communicate interactively with another user. |
| lpr : Print a file on the default line printer. | |
| PRINT/COPIES=n | lpr -#n : Print n copies. |
| PRINT/DELETE | lpr -r : Remove file after printing |
| PRINT/FORM | lpr -ln : Make page n lines (default = 66) |
| PRINT/FORM | lpr -n : Print n column output. |
| PRINT/FORM | lpr -wn : Set line width to n |
| PRINT/HEADER | pr -h string | lpr : Print a header on each page. |
| PRINT/NAME=jobname | lpr -Jjobname : Include job name on the first page of the job. |
| PRINT/NOFLAG | lpr -h : Print with no header page. |
| PRINT/NOTIFY | lpr -m : Send mail upon completion. |
| PRINT/PAGES=(n,?) | lpr +n : Begin printing on page n. |
| PRINT/QUEUE | lpr -Pqueue : Print a file on the specified queue. |
| READ | read : Read input (korn shell) |
| RECALL/ALL | history : Recall command lines |
| REPLY/USER | write : Send a brief message to a logged-in user |
| RENAME | mv : move/rename a file(s) |
| RENAME/CONFIRM | mv -i : confirm the move/rename of a file(s) |
| SEARCH | grep : Search files for strings. |
| SEARCH/MATCH=NOR | grep -v : List only lines that do not match |
| SEARCH/NOEXACT | grep -i : Ignore case distinctions. |
| SEARCH/NUMBERS | grep -n : Precede each match with line number. |
| SEARCH/STATISTICS | grep -c : List only a file name that contains match |
| SEARCH/WINDOW=0 | grep -l : Return only file name(s) that contains match |
| SEARCHfile pattern/WINDOW=5 | more -5 +/pattern file : Display search line plus two lines before and after. (Terminate with q). |
| SEARCHfile pattern/WIND=(5,0) | cat file | more -5+pattern : Display search line plus next five lines. |
| SET DEFAULT | cd : Change directory. |
| SET FILE/OWNER | chgrp : Change group ownership of a file. |
| SET FILE/PROTECTION | chmod : Change file protection. |
| SET FILE/ENTER | ln : make file alias, create link. |
| SET HOST | rlogin : Network login to trusted host. |
| SET HOST/DTE | tip : Dial remote host. |
| SET HOST 0/LOG | script : Record a transcript of a terminal session. |
| SET PASSWORD | passwd : Change you local password. |
| SET PROCESS/PRIORITY | nice or renice : Change the priority of a process. |
| SET PROTECTION/DEFAULT | umask : Change default protection for files not yet created. |
| SET TERMINAL | tset or stty : Set terminal characteristics. |
| SET VERIFY | ksh -x orcsh -x : Verify command or script execution. Echo after variable substitution. |
| SHOW DEFAULT | pwd : Display current directory. |
| SHOW DEVICE/FULL | df : filesystem Display information on a file system |
| SHOW LOGICAL | printenv : Display environment characteristics. |
| SHOW PROCESS/ALL | ps -l : Dislay all processes on system. |
| SHOW/QUEUE | lpq : Display default print queue status. |
| SHOW STATUS | time : Display resources used by a process. |
| SHOw TIME | date : Display date and time |
| SHOW USERS | who : Display the list of current system users. |
| SORT | sort : Sort and merge. |
| SORT/KEY | sort +fskip.cskip /-fskip.cskip : Starting/ending porint of sort key. |
| SORT/OUTPUT | sort -o file : Direct output to file. |
| SPAWN/NOWAIT | bg : Move a process to the background (command &). |
| STOP/ID | kill -9 : Remove a process. |
| SUBMIT | at : Start a process at a latter time. |
| TYPE | cat : Display a file |
| TYPE/PAGE=SAVE | more : Display a file, pausing after each page. |
| TYPE/PAGE NL: | clear : Clear the terminal screen. |
| WRITE file | /bin/echovar > file : Create a file and write a string or the contents of a variable to it. |
| WRITE file | /bin/echovar >> file : Append a string or the contents of a variable to an existing file. |
| WRITE SYS$OUTPUT | echo (c Shell) print (Korn) Write to standard output. |
| .EQ. | == Equal to |
| .EQS. | == string Equal to |
| .NE. | ! Not equal to |
| .NES. | ! string Not equal to |
| .AND. | && Boolean and |
| .OR. | || Boolean or |
| .GT. | > Greater than |
| .GTS. | > string Greater than |
| .GE. | >= Greater than or equal to |
| .GES. | >= string Greater than or equal to |
| .LT. | < Less than |
| .LTS. | < string Less than |
| .LE. | <= Less than or euqal to |
| .LES. | <= string Less than or euqal to |
| + | + add |
| - | - Subtract |
| * | * Multiply |
| / | / Divide |
| var + 1 | var++ Increment by 1 |
| var - 1 | var-- Decrement by 1 |
| .NOT. | ~ 1's complement |
| .NOT. | ! Logical negation |
| .OR. | | Inclusive OR |
| .AND. | & And |
| F$ENVIRONMENT("INTERACTIVE") | tty -s Determine if you are an interactive user. |
| F$EXTRACT(start,length,string) | cut -c Locate fields in a test string and write them out. |
| F$ELEMENT(element#,delimiter,string) | cut -f -d awk Locate delimited fields in a test string. |
| F$ENVIRONMENT("PROCEDURE") | $0 (Korn)$arg [0] (C) Get name of currently executing script. |
| F$TRANSLATE("SYS$SYSDEVICE") | sizer -r Get name of the device from which the operating system bootstrapped. |
| F$GETDVI("TT:","DEVNAM") | tty -s Determine the name of the terminal you are using. |
| F$GETSYI("HW_NAME") | sizer -c Get model name of the CPU |
| F$GETSYI("HW_MODEL") | sizer -wt Return workstation device type |
| F$GETSYI("VERSION") | sizer -bstrings /vmunix | grep "(Rev" uname -a Determine booted kernel's file name and system version. |
| F$GETSYI("PHYSICALPAGES") | uerf -r 300 -R | grep physical (+2)wc -c/dev/mem Get the physical memory on a system. |
| F$GETSYI("BOOTTIME") | who -b Get system boot time. |