Throughout this guide are tables summarizing many of the most commonly used Linux commands and command options. Most table entries, like the one in the example below, follow a format similar to that used by Linux's built-in manual pages.^[16] Some table entries, such as those found in Section 5.2, “GNU Emacs”, use a different format, although the differences are explained where relevant.

Since most commands have many options available, only a few options will be listed. To view all options for a given command, check the command's manual page.^[16] Square brackets (that is, []) around an item indicate that it's an optional argument for the command.