Linux Command Line and Shell Scripting Bible »

Richard Blumhas worked in the IT industry for over 18 years as both a systems and network administrator. He has administered UNIX, Linux, Novell, and Microsoft servers, as well as help design and maintain a 3,500-user network utilizing Cisco switches and routers. He has automated network monitoring with Linux shell scripts and written scripts in most of the common Linux shell environments. He is the author of several books, including Professional Linux Programming (Wrox) and Linux For Dummies, 8th Edition (Wiley).

Learn all the command lines for all Linux shells in this one-stop guide

There's a lot to be said for going back to basics. Not only does this Bible give you a quick refresher on the structure of open-source Linux software, it also shows you how to bypass the hefty graphical user interface on Linux systems and start interacting the fast and efficient way—with command lines and automated scripts. You'll learn how to manage files on the filesystem, start and stop programs, use databases, even do Web programming—without a GUI—with this one-stop resource.

• Understand the Linux desktop and various command-line parameters

• Learn filesystem navigation, file handling, and the basics of bash shell commands

• Write shell scripts to automate routine functions and reports

• Harness nesting loops and structured commands

• Monitor programs, master file permissions, and make queries

• Run scripts in background mode and schedule jobs

• Use sed, gawk, and regular expressions

• Explore all alternate shells, including ash, tcsh, ksh, korn, and zsh

Pt. I The Linux Command line

Ch. 1 Starting with Linux Shells 3

Ch. 2 Getting to the Shell 25

Ch. 3 Basic bash Shell Commands 59

Ch. 4 More bash Shell Commands 91

Ch. 5 Using Linux Environment Variables 123

Ch. 6 Understanding Linux File Permissions 147

Ch. 7 Working with Editors 171

Pt. II Shell Scripting Basics

Ch. 8 Basic Script Building 201

Ch. 9 Using Structured Commands 229

Ch. 10 More Structured Commands 255

Ch. 11 Handling User Input 285

Ch. 12 Presenting Data 313

Ch. 13 Script Control 335

Pt. III Advanced Shell Scripting

Ch. 14 Creating Functions 363

Ch. 15 Adding Color to Scripts 385

Ch. 16 Introducing sed and gawk 419

Ch. 17 Regular Expressions 447

Ch. 18 Advanced sed 473

Ch. 19 Advanced gawk 501

Pt. IV Alternative Linux Shells

Ch. 20 The ash Shell 533

Ch. 21 The tcsh Shell 557

Ch. 22 The Korn Shell 587

Ch. 23 The zsh Shell 611

Pt. V Advanced Topics

Ch. 24 Using a Database 639

Ch. 25 Using the Web 673

Ch. 26 Using E-Mail 701

Ch. 27 Shell Scripts for Administrators 725

Appendix A Quick Guide to bash Commands 749

Appendix B Quick Guide to sed and gawk 759

Appendix C Comparing Shells 771

Index 777