Shell Basics

Having trouble using your VU linux shell, or perhaps you just want to learn more; this is the place to start.

The first thing you are going to want to do is connect to VU. If you have never done this please read the basic article for getting on the shell. After following the previous instructions you will be able to remotely connect to VU from almost any computer.

Directory Navigation and Modification

The first thing you will be presented with after you connect to VU is your linux command prompt, which should look something like this:

username@users:~$
where username is your account name. This prompt will now be called the command prompt. The command prompt is where youwill enter in all of your linux commands that you are sending to the system.

The first command you will learn is ls, which is the command to list the files in your home directory. You use the command ls like you would any other command- like this:

username@users:~$ ls
After typing ls hit 'Enter' on your keyboard and the command will be executed. If you have not added any files into your home directory the ls command will show nothing, which brings us to putting something in your home directory.

The mkdir command is used to make a directory. To make a directory, type the commmand followed by the name you want to call that directory, such as:

username@users:~$ mkdir homework
that command will make a directory called homework. Because this command has certain rules associated with it, let us only stick to making single-word directories until we know a little more about the system. Now that we have something in our home directory we can use the first command we learned, ls. By using the list command you will now find that your home directory has another directory within it, this one called homework.

The next set of command you will use are for navigation; that is, moving around your home directory, and some helpful hints when moving around further while within the system. The main command we will use is the change directory command, cd. By using the command:

username@users:~$ cd homework
you will change directory into the homework directory you previous created. While in that directory you can use the ls command to see what is inside of that directory. You will notice that your command prompt has changed, now it should look like this:
username@users:~/homework$
It has changed because the directory you are in has changed. There are a few ways to move back a directory. Because we are only one directory away from your home directory you can use the command:
username@users:~/homework$ cd ..
which is a modification of the change directory command. This command lets you go up one directory. If you navigate multiple directories you may get "lost", or lose track of where you are. At any time you can use the cd command by itself to return you to your home directory. If you do not know what directory you are in, and would like to figure it out, you can use the 'print working directory' command, pwd. Using the pwd command will output the path you are currently in, so if you are in your homework directory you would see this:
/home/users/04/username/homework

Now you know enough to move around the file system and organize your space.

Additional Commands

There are hundreds of commands to use, and we've just looked at four of them! The "Unix Commands" page within the vu-help system will help bring you up to speed on other commonly used commands. Just type vu-help on the command line.

Setting Your Password

Maintaining a safe password is important for many reasons. A single weak password could compromise an entire computer system and more. There are a few simple steps that you can take to ensure that you have a safe password.

Your password should be at least eight characters and should contain both letters and numbers. Any variation of your login name is an unacceptable password and should never be used. Never tell anybody your password or choose something that can be easily guessed. If you feel that your password is insecure then you should change it as soon as possible. In order to ensure a decent level of saftey on such a widely used machine, we require that you change your password occasionally; you will get an automated warning of this. To change your password, use the command vu-account password system (or visit the password changing page of the online account tools). You will then be required to enter your current password and then your new password. The password changing program will not allow you to choose certain passwords that are considered insecure, however this program is not flawless so you should use your best judgement when choosing a password. After entering in your desired password you must verify it by entering it again; if you typed it correctly both times then you have sucessfully changed your password. If not, follow the above process again. After your password is updated you will now have to use your new password when logging in.

If you lose your password, it can be reset by contacting the VU Administrator

How To Check Your Virtual Union Mail

When you sign up for a Virtual Union account you also get an e-mail address similar to your union address. Your VU email address is your login name for VU followed by @vu.union.edu. This section will explain how to check your mail simply by logging into the shell on VU rather than using a third-party program such as Outlook or Eudora.

At the command prompt, simply type, mutt, then hit 'Enter'. You will be brought to your "inbox". The line on the very top of the screen tells you what keys to press to do different things, such as typing 'm' to compose a new email. Alternatively, you can use pine, a different email program that works similarly to mutt. When you start it up, just follow the instructions, and you will be on your way towards sending and receiving mail from your new, flashy, Virtual U e-mail account.

Please refer to the mail server help page for more information on how to use VU email.

Originally authored by: J.M.B Wed May 15 20:16:21 EDT 2002