bash Cookbook: Solutions and Examples for bash Users, 2nd Edition

Shell scripting is a way to harness and customize the power of any Unix system, and an essential skill for Unix users, system administrators, and even professional Mac OS X developers. But beneath this simple promise lies a treacherous ocean of variations in Unix commands and standards. This thoroughly revised edition of bash Cookbook teaches shell scripting the way Unix masters practice the craft.

Three Unix veterans present a variety of recipes and tricks for all levels of shell programmers so that anyone can become a proficient user of the most common Unix shell—the bash shell—and cygwin or other popular Unix emulation packages. This cookbook is full of useful scripts that readers can use right away, along with examples that explain how to create better scripts.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Beginning Bash
Chapter 2. Standard Output
Chapter 3. Standard Input
Chapter 4. Executing Commands
Chapter 5. Basic Scripting: Shell Variables
Chapter 6. Shell Logic And Arithmetic
Chapter 7. Intermediate Shell Tools I
Chapter 8. Intermediate Shell Tools Ii
Chapter 9. Finding Files: Find, Locate, Slocate
Chapter 10. Additional Features For Scripting
Chapter 11. Working With Dates And Times
Chapter 12. End-User Tasks As Shell Scripts
Chapter 13. Parsing And Similar Tasks
Chapter 14. Writing Secure Shell Scripts
Chapter 15. Advanced Scripting
Chapter 16. Configuring And Customizing Bash
Chapter 17. Housekeeping And Administrative Tasks
Chapter 18. Working Faster By Typing Less
Chapter 19. Tips And Traps: Common Goofs For Novices
Appendix A Reference Lists
Appendix B Examples Included With Bash
Appendix C Command-Line Processing
Appendix D Revision Control