Shell scripting in Linux & UNIX

Linux and UNIX users know the shell as the interactive command interpreter. But did you know that the shell is also a real programming language? An experienced shell programmer can write his own commands, and use them to automate a number of frequently recurring tasks.

This course therefore discusses the programming syntax of the shell (in particular of the Bourne shell, of bash, and of ksh). After completion, participants will be able to write relatively complex shell scripts themselves, and understand existing scripts and adapt them to their needs. Furthermore, the use of awk and sed is also discussed in detail.

Schedule

No public sessions are currently scheduled. We will be pleased to set up an on-site course or to schedule an extra public session (in case of a sufficient number of candidates). Interested? Please let us know.

Intended for

Power-users and system administrators of Linux or UNIX who are responsible for the organisation and the management of an efficient UNIX/Linux environment based on intelligent procedures, or who want to automate their dayly routine activities.

Background

The participant has followed the Linux/UNIX fundamentals course or has equivalent experience with the system, and has basic knowledge of a programming language. You can test for yourself to see if you have enough background by filling out the on-line self-test.

Main topics

  • Basic shell scripting: a recap
  • Working towards batch procedures:

Manipulating text in batch (sed, tr, ...) • unix tools in batch (arithmetic, text manipulation, "here documents", ...) • process synchronisation (wait, trap, exit, return, ...) • functions (definition, function library, function availability)

  • Advanced Shell programming - based on the korn shell and on bash:

Writing logical tests • evaluating tests • branching • iterations • arithmetic expressions • interactive scripting

  • AWK programming

AWK program structure • verbs • arguments • syntax of an instruction • conditions based on file parsing • regular expressions • search and update of file databases • simple reports

Training method

Classroom instruction based on a handout, presentation and demo's.

A substantial amount of time is spent on individual exercises and practical use cases.

Duration

3 days.

Course leader

Peter Vanroose, Kris Van Thillo.


SESSION INFO AND ENROLMENT