osx-like "open" in ubuntu/gnome

[Johannes Behr]

Hi,

there is a nice osx-command line tool called "open" which is for me a  
real killer-app :)

from the osx-man page:

     The open command opens a file (or a directory or URL), just as  
if you had
      double-clicked the file's icon. If no application name is  
specified, the
      default application as determined via LaunchServices is used to  
open the
      specified files.

      You can specify one or more file names (or pathnames), which  
are inter-
      preted relative to the shell or Terminal window's current  
working direc-
      tory. For example, the following command would open all Word  
files in the
      current working directory:

      open *.doc

Is there a similar tool in ubuntu/gnome:  I just would like to type

     open foo.pdf

and evince (or whatever is registered as default app) opens the pdf- 
file.

regards,
   Johannes