We can then run the script by $ ./script_name. Alternatively, we could use $ bash script_name. In This method we don't need to make the file executable. All shell commands and scripts generate a ...

Ok, I can't script my way out of a papper bag, so I need help with this.I declare some variables at the prompt:export catname=Fluffyexport dogname=SpotI make a no-executable file called text.dat ...

A program (binary, or executable) is a file on disk somewhere, in a recognized format. Common formats include ELF on Linux, ...

Last month, we took a strange turn and actually just focused on the basics of shell scripting, special variable notation, rather than solving some complex and obscure scripting challenge. I'm going to ...

Every time we publish a Linux hack that uses a shell script, someone will chime in about how awful it is to program shell scripts. While we like the ubiquity and efficiency, we can’t disagree… ...

For example, a common issue with shell scripts is to forget to quote an environment variable that could hold a file name that contains spaces. For example, consider this really simple script: ...

In plain old make you use them the same way you use curly braces in shell scripts. If it is in a shell script, then the the parenthesis signify subshell evaluation.

Shell scripting is a lot more powerful than many people realize. With the right commands, shell scripting can automate many tasks and even make life easier for the user. Here's why you shouldn't ...

In a previous column, I showed how to do substring expansion with shell variables in the form of $ {var:start:length}, but it's also useful to know the length of a variable's value. This can be done ...