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Customize Unix Environment using C Shell

In this module, you learned some of the common ways to customize your UNIX environment when you are using the C shell.
Now you know how to create and manage aliases. You also learned about the history feature and how to use it to display, repeat, or modify previous commands. This module also covered how to change your system prompt. Finally, you learned how to make these custom settings permanent, by storing them in the .cshrc file.

Key commands

This module introduced the following key UNIX commands:
  1. alias
  2. unalias
  3. grep
  4. history
  5. set

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Glossary

This module introduced you to the following terms and concepts:
  1. alias:An alias is a brief label that provides a command shortcut.
    For example, by defining an alias, you can execute a complex command by typing only a few characters of the alias.
  2. command history: Command history is a C shell feature that lets you display previously entered commands, rerun them, or run modified versions of them.
  3. .cshrc file: The .cshrc file is a configuration file in your home directory, where you can store custom settings that will be read by the C shell and executed.
  4. cwd variable: The cwd variable is a C shell variable that stores the name of your current working directory.
  5. history substitution: History substitution is one of the tasks you can perform using the command history feature. History substitution lets you replay all or part of a previous command.
  6. history variable: The history variable is a C shell variable that stores the number of commands you want in your command history.
  7. Korn shell: The Korn shell is a commonly used UNIX shell. It's a superset of the Bourne shell, and in the command line offers conveniences similar to those of the C shell.
  8. prompt variable: The prompt variable is a C shell variable that stores the value of your shell prompt.
  9. quick substitution: Quick substitution lets you make simple fixes to the most recent command and rerun the result.
  10. word substitution: Word substitution is a technique for replacing part of a command and rerunning the result. WYSIWYG WYSIWYG stands for "what you see is what you get." It means that whatever is displayed on your screen will appear exactly that way when you print it. In other words, the screen displays document formatting bold, italics, font sizes, and so on. Word processors are WYSIWYG applications. Text editors typically cannot display formatting graphically, so they are not WYSIWYG programs.
In the next module you will learn to use the grep command with regular expressions.

Unix Conclusion - Quiz

Click the Quiz link below to answer a few questions about customizing your UNIX session.
Unix Conclusion - Quiz