chown -a = do not hide entries starting with .

-R = operate on files and directories -d = list directory entries instead of contents

recursively -i = print index number of each file
-l = use a long listing format
cp -R = list subdirectories recursively
-a = copies recursively, while preserving file
attributes and copying all files mkdir
-d = preserve link -p = no error if existing, make parent
-i = prompt before overwrite directories as needed
-p = preserve mode, ownership, timestamps
-r = copies directories recursively rm
-R = copies directories recursively -f = ignore nonexistent files, never prompt
-v = explain what is being done -i = prompt before any removal
-r = remove the contents of directories
crontab recursively
-e = edit users crontab -R = remove the contents of directories
recursively
df
-h = print sizes in human readable format shutdown
-T = print filesystem type -f = do a fast reboot (skip fsck)
-F = force fsck on reboot
dif -h = halt after shutdown
-c = produce a list of differencies in 3 sections -r = reboot after shutdown
-i = ignore case differencies in file contents
sysctl
du -a = list all parameters
-a = write counts for all files; pint aparent -p = load value
sizes, rather than disk usage -w = change value (write)
-c = produce a grand total
-h = print sizes in human readable format tail
-s = display only a total for each argument -f = output appended data as the file grows
-nN = output the last N lines instead of the
find last 10
-atime = search by access time
-group = search by group tar
-i = case insensitive -c = create a new archive
-inum = search by inode -f = use archive file
-mtime = search by modification time -j = filter the archive through bzip2
-name = search by name -t = list the contents of an archive
-ok = confirm an action -v = show the progress of the files being
-perm = search by permissions archived
-size = search by size -x = extract files from an archive
-uid = search by user ID -z = filter the archive through gzip
-user = search by user
umask
grep -S = display in symbolic notation
-v = select non-matching lines
uname
head -a = print all information
-nN = print the firs N lines instead of the first -m = print the machine hardware name
10 -r = print the kernel release

ln uniq
-s = make symbolic links instead of hard links -d = only print duplicate lines
-i = ignore differences in case when
comparing
ls
 -u = list users logged in
who
-H = print line of column headings zip
-r = print current runlevel -r = recurse into directories