UNIX to Plan 9 command translation

The command set of Plan 9 is similar to that of UNIX. The commands fall into several broad classes.

Some are new programs for old jobs: programs like

=> ls(1) | cat(1)

and

=> who(1)

have familiar names and functions but are new, simpler implementations. Who, for example, is a shell script, while ps is just 163 lines of C code.

Some commands are essentially the same as their UNIX ancestors:

=> awk(1) | troff(1)

and others have been converted to ANSI C and extended to handle Unicode, but are still the familiar tools.

Some are entirely new programs for old niches:

=> the shell rc(1)

text editors

=> acme(1)

and

=> sam(1)

debuggers

=> acid(1)

and

=> db(1)

and others displace the better-known UNIX tools with similar jobs.

Compatibility was not a requirement for the system. Where the old commands or notation seemed good enough, we kept them. When they didn't, we replaced them.

The following list of some UNIX commands, files, and shell terminology, which you can emulate in a Plan 9 system:

UNIX                       Plan 9 from Bell Labs

.profile $home/lib/profile

^C (Ctrl+C) DEL key -- doesn't work without rio(4) though.

~ $home

                       /usr/$user/

~username /usr/username

"$@" $*

1>&2 >[2=1]

apropos lookman(1)

at specific-time while (! ~ (`{ date }) (specific-time)); commands

cc one of ones in 0c(1) followed by the same of 0l(1)

                       pcc(1) for Standard C/POSIX programs

cp -r /foo/ /bar/ mkdir /bar/foo/ && dircp /foo/ /bar/foo/

crontab -e sam /cron/$user/cron

curl http://foo/bar

wget http://foo/bar hget http://foo/bar > bar

                       (progress bar, -t for ascii) hget -v -o bar http://foo/bar |[2] aux/statusbar [-t] 'downloading'

cut awk -F ...

apt-get dist-upgrade

rpm -Ua

yum -c update /usr/glenda/bin/rc/pull

apt-get install

rpm -i package

yum -c install package 9fs sources ; cd /n/sources/

                       /n/sources/contrib/fgb/root/rc/bin/contrib/install fgb/contrib ; contrib/install $who/$what

df disk/kfscmd check

                       echo fsys all df | con -l /srv/fscons

                       df in fossilcons(8)

ee

emacs

jim

joe

nano

pico

vi

xedit sam

                       acme

expr hoc -e

find du -a | grep pattern

                       grep pattern `{du -a root}

-name du -a root | grep name

pattern in a file grep -n pattern `{du -a root | awk '{print $2}'}

-exec cp '{}' x ';' cp `{ du -a | grep pattern } x

fsck echo fsys all check fix | con -l /srv/fscons

                       if running venti, for a thorough fix: echo fsys all check fix venti snapshot | con -l /srv/fscons

ftp ftpfs host.domain (Remote files apear in /n/ftp).

ftpd aux/listen ftp

getopt getflags(8)

groff -l troff | lp

grops dpost - see troff(1)

head sed 10q

hwclock cat '#r/rtc'

                       aux/timesync

id echo $user

                       cat /dev/user

                       grep `{cat /dev/user} /adm/users

                       grep $user /adm/users

iostat iostats(4)

ifconfig(IP address) cat /net/ndb

ifconfig ip/ipconfig ether /net/ether0 add 192.168.1.32

                       ip/ipconfig # let dhcp do it

kill pid stop processname | rc

                       echo stop > /proc/pid/ctl

                       (in both cases, switch stop with start to get it back)

kill -9 pid

kill -KILL pid slay processname | rc

                       echo kill > /proc/pid/ctl

ld one of the ones in 0l(1)

ls lc -F

lspci pci -v

make mk (not exactly the same)

                       if necessary, use make in ape/psh

man -k lookman(1)

less

more p

mount [-p flag] bind(1)

                       unmount(1)

                       9fs(1)

                       srv(1)

                       import(4)

                       exportfs(4)

-p ns(1)

mount /dev/fd0 /mnt a: ; cd /n/a:

mount /dev/acd0 /mnt 9660srv

                       mkdir /n/9660

                       mount /srv/9660 /n/9660 /dev/sdD0/data

netcat -l aux/listen1 -t tcp!*!$port command

netstat [-r flag] netstat(1)

-r cat /net/iproute

nfsstat iostats(4)

nslookup ndb/dnsquery

passwd auth/changeuser username (first time)

                       passwd (subsequent times)

paste [FILE] ... pr -m [FILE] ...

PATH=$PATH:... bind -a directory /bin

ping ip/ping

pkginfo wrap(8)

reboot fshalt -r (note that there is a reboot command, but it doesn't call fshalt)

rmdir rm(1)

                       With contents inside: rm -r dir

sh rc(1)

                       if necessary, ape/psh

shutdown fshalt(8)

                       echo reboot > /dev/reboot

                       echo panic > /dev/reboot

snoop snoopy(8)

source .

startx

launch (Andrew Project)

mux (Blit's wm) rio (replaces 8½ and help)

tar xzf file.tgz tar xf file.tgz

tcpdump snoopy(8)

traceroute ip/traceroute

tree du $* | awk '{print $2}' | sort | sed 's/[^/]+// /g'

ufs{dump|restore} yesterday(1)

                       history(1)

                       fs(4)

vigr

vipw [Adding a new user]

vlock http://mirtchovski.com/lanlp9/rlock

                       (specify password at invocation)

vmstat stats(1)

                       cat /dev/sysstat

                       cat /dev/swap

which whatis

xbiff faces

xclock clock

                       games/catclock

                       faces

xditview troff | page

                       troff | proof

xload stats -l

xlock /n/sources/contrib/steve/conslock

                       (authenticates against authentication server)

xlogo window 'hget http://plan9.bell-labs.com/plan9/img/plan9bunnysmblack.jpg | page'

xman cat man -t cat | page

xv file.jpg page file.jpg

xwininfo winwatch

yes while() { echo y }

yes arg while() { echo arg }