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Larry Golade
Asked: 2015-05-29 04:32:22 +0800 CST

Where can I find a compact list of basic commands for the root shell prompt?

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My computer is only stable in Recovery Mode. I want to save the files on the HDD before I format the disk and do a fresh OS install. Are the commands for the root shell prompt the same as the ones used in the terminal? Are they similar to the ones used for DOS? Any pointers?

command-line

2 Answers

  1. Depends. I don't recall if ubuntu uses busybox, if so, your commands are those available in busybox. To see a list, type this:

    busybox --list

    Or

    busybox -h

    Beyond that, available programs are determined by your PATH environment variable. Generally, these are the same as those in the terminal. Any executable that is in your PATH will be available as a command. If there is a command you need, but it doesn't execute when you type it in, you might just need to update your path. Be sure to include the previous value of path if you do this. For example:

    export PATH=~/bin:"$PATH"

    In addition to executables in your PATH, you have some basic bash commands that are also available. For a list of bash commands, type help.

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  2. Ubuntu does not use busybox. The commands available to Recovery Mode are much the same as in other modes. Use: 

    for i in $( echo $PATH | /usr/bin/tr ':' ' ') ; do  
    /bin/ls -ld $i;  
    /bin/ls -l $i;   
done
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