A shell is a special user program that provides an interface for the user to use operating system services. Shell accepts human-readable commands from users and converts them into something which the kernel can understand. It is a command language interpreter that executes commands read from input devices such as keyboards or from files. The shell gets started when the user logs in or starts the terminal. A shell is an interface that interprets, processes, and executes these commands from the shell script.
Shell is broadly classified into two categories –
Command Line Shell Graphical shell
Command Line Shell
Shell can be accessed by users using a command line interface. A special program called Terminal in Linux/macOS, or Command Prompt in Windows OS is provided to type in the human-readable commands such as “cat”, “ls” etc. and then it is being executed. The result is then displayed on the terminal to the user. A terminal in Ubuntu 16.4 system looks like this –
Page 1 of 6 In the above screenshot “ls” command with “-l” option is executed. It will list all the files in the current working directory in a long listing format. Working with a command line shell is a bit difficult for beginners because it’s hard to memorize so many commands. It is very powerful; it allows users to store commands in a file and execute them together. This way any repetitive task can be easily automated. These files are usually called batch files in Windows and Shell Scripts in Linux/macOS systems.
Graphical Shells Graphical shells provide means for manipulating programs based on the graphical user interface (GUI), by allowing for operations such as opening, closing, moving, and resizing windows, as well as switching focus between windows. Window OS or Ubuntu OS can be considered as a good example which provides GUI to the user for interacting with the program. Users do not need to type in commands for every action. A typical GUI in the Ubuntu system:
Page 2 of 6 There are several shells are available for Linux systems like – BASH (Bourne Again SHell) – It is the most widely used shell in Linux systems. It is used as default login shell in Linux systems and in macOS. It can also be installed on Windows OS. CSH (C SHell) – The C shell’s syntax and its usage are very similar to the C programming language. KSH (Korn SHell) – The Korn Shell was also the base for the POSIX Shell standard specifications etc. Each shell does the same job but understands different commands and provides different built- in functions. What is a terminal? A program which is responsible for providing an interface to a user so that he/she can access the shell. It basically allows users to enter commands and see the output of those commands in a text-based interface. Large scripts that are written to automate and perform complex tasks are executed in the terminal.
Shell Scripting Shell scripting is a text file with a list of commands that instruct an operating system to perform certain tasks. Shell scripting is a powerful tool commonly used across industries to automate tasks, test solutions, and increase efficiency. Usually, shells are interactive, which means they accept commands as input from users and execute them. However, sometimes we want to execute a bunch of commands routinely, so we have to type in all commands each time in the terminal. As a shell can also take commands as input from file, we can write these commands in a file and can execute them in shell to avoid this repetitive work. These files are called Shell Scripts or Shell Programs. Shell scripts are similar to the batch file in MS-DOS. Each shell script is saved with `.sh` file extension e.g., myscript.sh. A shell script has syntax just like any other programming language. If you have any prior experience with any programming language like Python, C/C++ etc. It would be very easy to get started with it. A shell script comprises the following elements – Shell Keywords – if, else, break etc. Shell commands – cd, ls, echo, pwd, touch etc. Functions Control flow – if..then..else, case and shell loops etc.
Page 3 of 6 What is shell scripting used for? Shell scripting is primarily used to automate repetitive system tasks, such as backing up files, monitoring system resources, and managing user accounts. By turning a series of commands into a script, system administrators can save time, increase accuracy, and simplify complex tasks. Who uses shell scripting? Shell scripting is a valuable tool across several professions and fields due to its flexibility, power, and widespread support of operating systems. The following are some roles that use shell scripting: System administrators: System administrators often use shell scripts for automating administrative tasks like backups, system monitoring, user account creation and management, and many more routine activities. This allows for efficiency, consistency, and accuracy. Developers: Developers often use shell scripting to automate development tasks, like automating file manipulation, deploying software to servers, running test suites, and more. DevOps professionals: In the world of DevOps, shell scripting can benefit tasks such as automation, configuration management, troubleshooting, and rapid iteration. Shell scripts can run across operating platforms, which can be beneficial for those who work in several environments. Basic shell scripting terms Before we delve further into shell scripting, knowing a few definitions may come in handy when exploring this topic: Terminal: A terminal is a program that establishes a connection with the server. Shell: This program interprets shell scripting commands from the terminal and runs on the server. This is the command-line user interface you choose and includes shells such as the Bourne shell, Korn shell, Bourne-Again shell, and C shell. Script: A script is a short program that performs a specific task. Command-line shell: A command-line shell (also known as a command prompt) allows you to instruct your computer through textual commands. Shell script: A shell script is a script run through a command-line shell When you create a shell script, you might use text editors like Nano or Vim and save the file with a “.sh” extension. A shell interpreter interprets and executes these scripts; you can run them from the command line whenever necessary. 5 types of shells Different types of shells have different capabilities, so choose the type of shell that works best for your applications. Your shell choice will affect how you can execute programs and which system resources you can access. Some common types of shells you can choose from include:
Page 4 of 6 Type of Description shell
The Bourne shell, also known as ‘sh,’ was the original UNIX shell or command- Bourne line interpreter developed by Stephen Bourne at AT&T Bell Labs. While known shell for its high operation speed, this type of shell cannot reference previous commands and has limited built-in functionality.
The C shell, ‘csh,’ is a shell developed by Bill Joy at the University of California C shell Berkeley. This shell uses a similar syntax as the C programming language and incorporates aliases into the available features.
Bash, short for “Bourne Again Shell,” is a shell created by Brian Fox as a Bash combination of sh, csh, and ksh capabilities. Bash is the default shell on Linux and shell Mac OSX. This type of shell can recall previous commands and edit them.
The Korn shell, or ‘ksh,’ is a shell developed by David Korn in the 1980s. It Korn combines features of both the Bourne and C shells, along with its own shell improvements, such as string and array manipulation.
The Z shell, or ‘zsh,’ is a modern extension of the sh shell and offers extensive Z shell customization. Some notable features include plugins, function indexes, and theming support.
Capabilities of Shell Script
Shell scripts are incredibly versatile, capable of handling file manipulation, database monitoring, text printing, and more. While the language of shells has conditional operations, looping functions, and command-line arguments, much of the strength of shell programs comes from the ability to call any program through shell scripting. This allows you to design complex programs suited to your needs.
Similar programs to shell scripts
Several programming languages and environments share similarities with shell scripting. Python and JavaScript, for example, are able to write scripts in a similar way to shell scripts. Practical Extraction and Report Language, or Perl, is another scripting language commonly used to write shell scripts. However, shell scripts interpret command lines and automate tasks, while professionals utilize high-level programming languages such as Python and JavaScript across several additional applications (e.g., web development).
Page 5 of 6 Why do we need shell scripts? There are many reasons to write shell scripts: To avoid repetitive work and automation System admins use shell scripting for routine backups. System monitoring Adding new functionality to the shell etc.
Advantages of Shell Scripting
It automates repetitive tasks and can boost productivity. It’s ideal for rapidly prototyping complex applications. Shell scripts are simple to create, modify, and debug. They’re also highly portable and capable of running on any UNIX-like system with minimal modifications.
Disadvantages of Shell Scripting
Shell scripts may be slower than programs written in compiled languages Less suited for complex computational tasks. Scripting languages may be more prone to costly errors than other programming languages.
Examples of shell scripting
Depending on your professional role, you might call on shell scripting for various functions. Here are a few scenarios in which you might choose to utilize the capabilities of shell scripting: You have multiple databases on a single machine, or your requirements aren’t specific to a single database: Shell scripting allows you to meet requirements that aren’t advisable or secure to fulfil using a single database. You need to perform tasks when the database isn’t running: In such cases, you can utilize a script to start or stop a database, as well as associated processes like listeners, which you can’t initiate from within the database itself. You need to monitor the database’s status to ensure it is running and ready to process queries: A script can serve this purpose, monitoring not only the database but also other system processes and resources, providing a comprehensive view of the system’s operations. You need to automate backups of your database: For example, with Oracle's Recovery Manager (RMAN), you can create backup scripts that run on any platform. A shell script can call upon RMAN for a variety of backup and recovery activities.
