lfs-book/appendixa/utillinux-desc.xml

<sect2>
<title>Contents</title>

<para>
The Util-linux package contains the arch, dmesg, kill, more,
mount, umount, agetty, blockdev, cfdisk, ctrlaltdel, elvtune, fdisk,
fsck.minix, hwclock, kbdrate, losetup, mkfs, mkfs.bfs, mkfs.minix,
mkswap, sfdisk, swapoff, swapon, cal, chkdupexe, col, colcrt, colrm,
column, cytune, ddate, fdformat, getopt, hexdump, ipcrm, ipcs, logger,
look, mcookie, namei, rename, renice, rev, script, setfdprm, setsid,
setterm, ul, whereis, write, ramsize, rdev, readprofile, rootflags,
swapdev, tunelp and vidmode programs.
</para>

</sect2>

<sect2>
<title>Description</title>

<sect3>
<title>arch</title>

<para>
arch prints the machine architecture.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>dmesg</title>

<para>
dmesg is used to examine or control the kernel ring buffer (boot
messages from the kernel).
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>kill</title>

<para>
kill sends a specified signal to the specified process.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>more</title>

<para>
more is a filter for paging through text one screen full at a time.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>mount</title>

<para>
mount mounts a filesystem from a device to a directory (mount point).
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>umount</title>

<para>
umount unmounts a mounted filesystem.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>agetty</title>

<para>
agetty opens a tty port, prompts for a login name and invokes the
/bin/login command.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>blockdev</title>

<para>
blockdev allows to call block device ioctls from the command line
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>cfdisk</title>

<para>
cfdisk is an libncurses based disk partition table manipulator.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>ctrlaltdel</title>

<para>
ctrlaltdel sets the function of the CTRL+ALT+DEL key combination (hard
or soft reset).
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>elvtune</title>

<para>
elvtune allows to tune the I/O elevator per block device queue basis.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>fdisk</title>

<para>
fdisk is a disk partition table manipulator.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>fsck.minix</title>

<para>
fsck.minix performs a consistency check for the Linux MINIX filesystem.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>hwclock</title>

<para>
hwclock queries and sets the hardware clock (Also called the RTC or BIOS
clock).
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>kbdrate</title>

<para>
kbdrate resets the keyboard repeat rate and delay time.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>losetup</title>

<para>
losetup sets up and controls loop devices.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>mkfs</title>

<para>
mkfs builds a Linux filesystem on a device, usually a harddisk
partition.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>mkfs.bfs</title>

<para>
mkfs.bfs creates a SCO bfs file system on a device, usually a harddisk
partition.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>mkfs.minix</title>

<para>
mkfs.minix creates a Linux MINIX filesystem on a device, usually a
harddisk partition.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>mkswap</title>

<para>
mkswap sets up a Linux swap area on a device or in a file.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>sfdisk</title>

<para>
sfdisk is a disk partition table manipulator.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>swapoff</title>

<para>
swapoff disables devices and files for paging an swapping.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>swapon</title>

<para>
swapon enables devices and files for paging and swapping.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>cal</title>

<para>
cal displays a simple calender.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>chkdupexe</title>

<para>
chkdupexe finds duplicate executables.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>col</title>

<para>
col filters reverse line feeds from input.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>colcrt</title>

<para>
colcrt filters nroff output for CRT previewing.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>colrm</title>

<para>
colrm removes columns from a file.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>column</title>

<para>
column columnates lists.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>cytune</title>

<para>
cytune queries and modifies the interruption threshold for the Cyclades
driver.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>ddate</title>

<para>
ddate converts Gregorian dates to Discordian dates.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>fdformat</title>

<para>
fdformat low-level formats a floppy disk.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>getopt</title>

<para>
getops parses command options the same way as the getopt C command.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>hexdump</title>

<para>
hexdump displays specified files, or standard input, in a user specified
format (ascii, decimal, hexadecimal, octal).
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>ipcrm</title>

<para>
ipcrm removes a specified resource.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>ipcs</title>

<para>
ipcs provides information on IPC facilities.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>logger</title>

<para>
logger makes entries in the system log.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>look</title>

<para>
look displays lines beginning with a given string.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>mcookie</title>

<para>
mcookie generates magic cookies for xauth.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>namei</title>

<para>
namei follows a pathname until a terminal point is found.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>rename</title>

<para>
rename renames files.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>renice</title>

<para>
renice alters priority of running processes.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>rev</title>

<para>
rev reverses lines of a file.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>script</title>

<para>
script makes typescript of terminal session.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>setfdprm</title>

<para>
setfdprm sets user-provides floppy disk parameters.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>setsid</title>

<para>
setsid runs programs in a new session.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>setterm</title>

<para>
setterm sets terminal attributes.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>ul</title>

<para>
ul reads a file and translates occurrences of underscores to the sequence
which indicates underlining for the terminal in use.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>whereis</title>

<para>
whereis locates a binary, source and manual page for a command.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>write</title>

<para>
write sends a message to another user.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>ramsize</title>

<para>
ramsize queries and sets RAM disk size.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>rdev</title>

<para>
rdev queries and sets image root device, swap device, RAM disk size, or
video mode.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>readprofile</title>

<para>
readprofile reads kernel profiling information.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>rootflags</title>

<para>
rootflags queries and sets extra information used when mounting root.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>swapdev</title>

<para>
swapdev queries and sets swap device.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>tunelp</title>

<para>
tunelp sets various parameters for the LP device.
</para>

</sect3>

<sect3>
<title>vidmode</title>

<para>
vidmode queries and sets the video mode.
</para>

</sect3>

</sect2>