*BSD News Article 1697


Return to BSD News archive

Xref: sserve comp.unix.admin:6165 comp.unix.aix:12952 comp.unix.shell:5141 comp.unix.questions:23886 comp.unix.misc:4189 comp.unix.bsd:1730
Path: sserve!manuel!munnari.oz.au!mips!mips!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!torn!cunews!csi.uottawa.ca!news
From: js@gaaj.uottawa.ca (Jean-Serge Gagnon)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.admin,comp.unix.aix,comp.unix.shell,comp.unix.questions,comp.unix.misc,comp.unix.bsd
Subject: URGENT, need info for job interview monday
Message-ID: <js.21.709599843@gaaj.uottawa.ca>
Date: 26 Jun 92 23:04:03 GMT
References: <29fed09c@babyoil.ftp.com>
Sender: news@csi.uottawa.ca
Organization: Computing & Communications, Ottawa University
Lines: 46
Nntp-Posting-Host: gaaj.uottawa.ca

Hi,
	First, I'd like to say thanks for reading this, and second sorry
for the cross-posting.

	I hope I won't make this too long, but here goes:

	I'm about to go for an interview, and at the last minute, my contact
tells me that his boss want's a Unix Guru (almost). I am one of those who
started playing with PC since they exist, and I learn really fast; I 
learned BASIC in a week-end and learned C in two weeks! (to really be able
to use them). I have logged-on to Unix, done some peeking around, but that's
about it. I read through a book on the Bourn and Kourn shell's (the basics)
called "UNIX shell commands, quick reference" published by QUE.
	I have an account on two seperate Unix machines. An IBM RS/6000 
running AIX, and a SUN running Sun/OS. Please keep this in mind when
answering my questions. Also, if possible, could you reply via e-mail, as
it will be easier for me to read your replies. Of course, I will keep track
of the unix groups to learn more, but I would appreciate e-mail. If there
is a request, I will post a compilation to the appropriate group
(comp.unix.questions). My news software dosn't premit a Followup-to line,
Please put it to that group if you can.
	Anyways, here's the point: I need to be able to use UNIX in an 
intelligent, basic way, by monday. Some will say "impossible, he must be 
crazy!", but when I say that I learn fast, it's not an over-statement, I 
REALLY do, please help me with these somewhat "stupid" questions:

1) The most simple (I'm sure), but most important thing. How do you
   know if a file is executable? And how do you start it, by typing it
   in?
2) I know about fg and bg, so, if I want to execute a command in the
   backgroud, logoff and have it continue, do I just have to do:
            bg command
3) Is any command executable in the background, and if not, how can
   you know?
4) What about executable scripts? How do you recognize them ? How do
   you create them? With any editor, like vi?
5) OK! Now let's say I FTP somewhere and get a UNIX compressed file
   (.Z) that's executable, how do I use it? I know about uncompress.
6) Does the path work the same way as an DOS machine, or are there
   variations I should know about?

I'm sure I will have many other questions over the week-end, so if you do
reply, please indicate whether you would or can accept any questions that
I will have after having these answered.

Thanks for your help