This thread got me thinking (uh-oh ):
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=556341

So, the OP in that thread was looking for 'lsdev' for Linux, which wasn't included in Fedora or RedHat according to Jlightner.
Slackware includes it, but one very handy 'command' not included in Slackware is 'lshw', which I downloaded from Sourceforge.
I believe for example that 'lspci' and 'lsusb' to name just two, are included in most distros --- aren't they? And there's 'hdparm' and 'lsmod'...

Likely there are plethorae (?? ) of other examples of 'commands' which are included in this and not that, or that but not the other, Linux distro.

This all begs two questions:

1 - Are these items to be considered 'commands', or 'utilities' or 'binaries', or 'binary commands' or 'tools' or something else, more 'Linux-proper'?

and..

2 - After answering question #1, does there exist a (to some degree) complete list anywhere, of all the possible <things from question #1> that one could possibly have (included or installed) on any given Linux OS?

http://www.onlamp.com/linux/cmd/

OK, here's half the answer to my question, I think. But I have to make an assumption that this is a 'basic' or incomplete list of standard commands; at a quick glance, there are a bunch of 'ls...' commands, but 'lshw' is not there. Why not? Are these the 'actual Linux command set' and all alse is considered 'third party' or 'applications' rather than commands?

Arrrgh---an ugly task. Perhaps if you parsed /bin /sbin /usr/bin, etc. on all known distros......

I'll just comment on semantics..

Command: Anything which is executable (except maybe a directory)

Binary: Anything in machine language (normally executable, but would not have to be)

Utility: An application associated with maintenance or administration, as opposed to doing useful work. (This is really splitting hairs) Maybe better to say that a utility does things that the end user would not normally care about.

<<Begin Silly Diversion>>
Plethora: A noun which has adjectival overtones--as in "gaggle" or "multitude"

Plethorae (implying more than one---ie Plethoras) Incorrect usage unless it refers to several distinct groups---as in I saw three gaggles of geese today--one in each village.
(The pluralization of an adjectival noun should not be used to imply greater magnitude---ie Plethorae = several distinct Plethoras, not one bigger Plethora)
<<End Silly Diversion>>

Thanks Pixellany! LMAO here at your silly diversion -- I needed a good laugh and that did it. I knew I was 'asking for it' with 'plethorae' but had to do it!

Also, thanks for the hair-splitting and semantics; after looking around some more, I agree, it looks like an exercise in futility trying to establish an accurate, conclusive, all-encompassing list of these items that everyone might agree upon. I'll pass on the mass-parsing exercise

SV