Vxworks Command Cheat Sheet May 2026

If a command isn't working, type help "command" first. If that fails, your BSP might have disabled the C interpreter. In that case, switch to the Kernel Shell using -> prompt.

int x = 42; // Declare char * msg = "Hello"; // Declare string printVal x; // Print value printf("Msg: %s\n", msg); // Use stdio functions VxWorks provides robust crash analysis tools. vxworks command cheat sheet

| Command | Description | Example | | :--- | :--- | :--- | | | Change directory. | cd "/ata0a/" | | ls | List directory. | ls -l (long format) | | rm | Remove a file. | rm "oldlog.txt" | | cp | Copy a file. | cp "source.txt" "dest.txt" | | mv | Move/rename a file. | mv "a.txt" "b.txt" | | mkdir | Create directory. | mkdir "/ata0a/data" | | rmdir | Remove empty directory. | rmdir "/ata0a/old" | | cdrom | Mount a CD-ROM. | cdrom | | usbStorageInit | Initialize USB mass storage. | usbStorageInit | Part 9: Real-World Example Scenarios Let's combine these commands into practical workflows. Scenario 1: High CPU Task Hunting i // See all tasks. Look for one with 'PEND' or 'READY' ti "myHighTask" // Inspect stack and PC taskSuspend "myHighTask" // Pause it. See if system recovers. taskResume "myHighTask" // Resume. taskPrioritySet "myHighTask", 150 // Bump it lower. Scenario 2: Debugging a Memory Leak memShow // Get current free memory. taskSpawn("leakTest", 100, 0, 20000, myBadFunction) // Run suspected code. memShow // Compare free memory. Shrunk? Leak. objShowAll // See if objects (semaphores, msgQs) aren't being deleted. Scenario 3: Saving a Core Dump to Disk cd "/tffs0/" dumpCore "crash.dmp" // Generate dump. ls // Verify file exists. copy "crash.dmp" "/ata0a/backup/" // Move to safe location. Part 10: VxWorks 7 Specific Commands VxWorks 7 introduced a newer, more modular shell with additional commands (often C++ aware). If a command isn't working, type help "command" first

Commands that return 0 mean "OK" (success). Non-zero returns usually indicate an error code. Part 2: Essential Navigation & Help Mastering the help system is the fastest way to stop googling. int x = 42; // Declare char *

If you are debugging a driver, testing a board support package (BSP), or tuning a real-time task, you will eventually find yourself staring at the (also known as the C interpreter shell or Host shell ). Unlike a Linux bash shell, the VxWorks shell is a direct window into the kernel. You can execute C functions, inspect memory, change variables, and even spawn tasks on the fly.

Happy debugging. Keep your tasks running and your deadlines real-time.