Getting started with unix and programming

What this reference includes:

1. Essential Unix Commands, Redirection, and Wildcards
2. Creating and Editing Files, Recommended editors
3. Compiling programs using makefiles to make your life easier
4. Compressing and encoding your files for mailing

A carat, '^' is used to denote the control key, so '^c' means hold down the control key and press 'c'.

Any program can be suspended by typing '^z'
A suspended program can then be put into the background with the 'bg' command.
You can return to a suspended or background job with the 'fg' command.

Command line options change the way a command runs.
These are normally entered as 'command -option1 -other_options'