Bash in easy steps

by Mike McGrath

Overview

The Bourne Again SHell (Bash) is a powerful command-line shell interface that lets you communicate directly with the kernel at the heart of a computer’s operating system for total control. Bash is the default shell for Unix-based operating systems Linux, Mac OS X, and Raspbian on Raspberry Pi devices, and is also available to Windows users on the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).

This book will show you how to use the Bash command-line interface and how to employ Bash's programming abilities. Complete examples illustrate each aspect with colorized source code and full-color screenshots depict the actual output.

Bash in easy steps begins by demonstrating Bash commands for system navigation and file manipulation so you will quickly become familiar with the command-line interface. It explains all the BASH basics before moving on to describe advanced features such as command history, command-line editing, and environment customization. The book then introduces Bash programming with examples of flow control, command switches, input/output, and debugging - allowing you to create your own executable programs by copying the examples.

Bash in easy steps has an easy-to-follow style that will appeal to:

Users who are completely new to Unix-based operating systems

Casual users who wish to expand their knowledge of their computer system

Those who would like to learn coding skills by writing useful shell scripts

The student who is studying programming at school or college

Those seeking a career in computing and need a fundamental understanding of the BASH interpreter on Unix-based operating systems

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781840788099
Publisher:	In Easy Steps Limited
Publication date:	02/25/2019
Series:	In Easy Steps
Pages:	192
Sales rank:	1,093,946
Product dimensions:	7.20(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.50(d)

About the Author

Mike McGrath gained his extensive knowledge of computer languages while working as a developer contracting to companies around the world. Mike is an established In Easy Steps author with several guides to his credit including: C++; Javascript, Java, Linux, PHP, SQL and Visual Basic Express.

Table of Contents

1 Getting Started 7

Introducing Bash 8

Discovering the Shell 9

Installing Linux on Windows 10

Initializing the Distro 12

Understanding Commands 14

Navigating the File System 16

Dealing Wildcards 18

Recognizing Metacharacters 20

Quoting Phrases 22

Getting Help 24

Summary 26

2 Managing Files 27

Creating Folders 28

Arranging Files 30

Adding Links 32

Examining Properties 34

Comparing Files 36

Finding Files 38

Compressing Files 40

Making Backups 42

Summary 44

3 Handling Text 45

Reading and Writing 46

Redirecting Output 48

Seeking Strings 50

Sorting Order 52

Arranging Columns 54

Matching Expressions 56

Editing Text 58

Inserting Text 60

Summary 62

4 Editing Commands 63

Amending Characters 64

Changing Lines 66

Completing Commands 68

Adjusting Characters 70

Inserting Text 72

Repeating History 74

Fixing Commands 76

Expanding History 78

Summary 80

5 Customizing Environment 81

Switching Users 82

Setting Permissions 84

Creating Aliases 86

Setting Options 88

Modifying Variables 90

Changing Prompts 92

Adjusting Paths 94

Summary 96

6 Controlling Behavior 97

Disabling Defaults 98

Formatting Output 100

Reading Input 102

Substituting Commands 104

Managing Jobs 106

Killing Processes 108

Communicating Routines 110

Relating Shells 112

Summary 114

7 Performing Operations 115

Storing Values 116

Filling Arrays 118

Handling Strings 120

Doing Arithmetic 122

Assigning Values 124

Comparing Values 126

Assessing Logic 128

Matching Patterns 130

Summary 132

8 Directing Flow 133

Examining Conditions 134

Providing Alternatives 136

Testing Cases 138

Iterating For 140

Selecting Options 142

Looping While 144

Looping Until 146

Breaking Out 148

Summary 150

9 Employing Functions 151

Creating Scripts 152

Displaying Variables 154

Inputting Values 156

Providing Options 158

Restricting Scope 160

Repeating Calls 162

Locating Bugs 164

Randomizing Numbers 166

Summary 168

10 Handy Reference 169

Special Characters 170

Commands A-D 172

Commands D-F 174

Commands G-L 176

Commands L-S 178

Commands S-U 180

Commands U-Z 182

Date Formats 184

Shell Variables 186

Index 187