Virtual Private Server User Guide

Internet and UNIX Basics

 rw r       1 sally  acme.com  0 Jan 21 07:28 index.html

You can do so with the following command:

> vchown jdoe:acme.com index.html

For More Information:

For more information on file ownership, please refer to the chown man page by 

entering the following command at the command prompt:

> man chown

Shells

Much of the everyday work performed on your VPS server is done in a command 

line interface called a shell. A shell is a command interpreter whose main job is to 

receive commands and pass them to your virtual server for execution. Some 

shells offer useful and timesaving features. The default shell given to your 

administrative and root user (if you have one) is the tcsh shell. You can choose to 

use any of the shells discussed below, or even install other shells that aren't 

mentioned here from the Software Application Library. 

The following shells are preinstalled on VPS servers:

   C shell (csh), a popular command interpreter that has its origins in Berkeley 

UNIX, is particularly suited for interactive use. It offers many features, 

including an ability to recall and modify previous commands, a facility for 

creating command shortcuts, shorthand notation for pathnames to home 

directories, and job control. 

   tcsh, an enhanced version of csh, is backwards compatible with csh, so you 

can apply your knowledge of  the C shell immediately to tcsh. But tcsh goes 

beyond csh, adding capabilities like a general purpose command line editor, 

spelling correction, and programmable command, file, and user name 

completion. 

   Bourne shell (sh). The Bourne shell is the oldest of the currently popular 

shells and is the most widely available. Most system startup scripts are run 

in the Bourne shell environment. 

   Bourne Again shell (bash). An extension of the Bourne shell, bash includes 

such enhancements as command line editing, key bindings, integrated 

programming features, command completion, and control structures. While 

not a part of the standard UNIX installation, we preinstall bash on all 

accounts for your convenience. 

   Korn shell (ksh). Provides all the features of csh and tcsh together with a 

shell programming language similar to that of the original Bourne shell. We 

preinstall a public domain version of ksh (pdksh) on all accounts.

To determine which shell you are currently using, type the following command at 

your virtual server s command prompt:

> echo $SHELL

Technical Training Department

August 2004

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