Using csh & tcsh

How To Read This Handbook

First, you should read Chapter 1. If necessary, change your login shell to csh or tcsh, using the instructions there.

If you're a beginner, unfamiliar with the shell, or just want to review the basics of executing simple commands, you should proceed to Chapter 2. If you're also having trouble figuring out how to do things like getting your terminal to backspace correctly, you may find it helpful to read Chapter 5.

If you already know something about the shell, you can skip the primer and proceed to Chapter 3. This chapter is designed to "jump start" you into better use of the shell by presenting lots of shortcuts that save you time and effort. You'll quickly become a more fluent command-line user by applying the information you find here.

For a more systematic and topical approach to the shell's capabilities, look at the chapters in Part II. They explain in greater detail the features of the shell that were briefly demonstrated in Chapter 3.

Finally, use the index. The shell's features interrelate, so you'll often find that a particular capability can be applied in many different contexts, and most likely will be discussed in several places.