Unix command distillation

language-optimization

There should be need of only 4 machine code commands +/-1.  
*MOVE, 
*JUMP-ON-EQUAL (or JUMP-ON-NOT-EQUAL)
*OR, 
*AND, and 
*NOT.

These five can build 5 more hardware-level commands (STUB):
* allocate memory
* store data
* send data
* edit data
* write to console

These are probably enough for a simple OS.

These can then build a simple OS or a multi-tasking OS with a total of ~64 to ~125 different commands.
* create named device
* 


  These commands could probably be limited to 1 parameter, but otherwise maximum of 4 parameters per command.  All other commands MUST derive from these.

Commands should revolve around storage, users, and processes, and I/O (commanding the screen, setting keyboard type, etc).  Is there another grouping?  

The reason is system admins don't remember more than about 4 +/-1 things with a given index term -- in this case a system command.  When you have 50 different flags for you command, no one can remember them.  

If you have 50 parameters to your command, you probably need a better command-hierarchy model.