Other than 'man bash', can anyone recommend a good bash tutorial (doc, web site, or forums)? Preferably on-line stuff. I'll try to pick up a book at some point.

I understand one can create an interactive script, but the example I saw uses animals. As if one would actually write a script to get an animal from the user! Give me a real-world example of problems scripts like this solve.

If I'd be better off buying a book, just say so.

Regards,
Don

Hi -

Basically, all the syntax you need to be productive with shell scripts is pretty simple - everything you'd need to use for 90% of your scripting needs could easily boil down to a page or less.

The issue really isn't so much about "how to write shell scripts" as "how to use the power of shell scripts to solve real problems."

Furthermore, learning the shell really involves also familiarizing yourself with the Unix/Linux toolset - "awk", "sed", "tr", "sort", "cut", "uniq" and so forth.

Here are two book suggestions that would help you not only with "shell scripting", but with the bigger picture of "effectively using the *nix environment":

1) The Unix Programming Environment, Kernighan & Pike
A venerable classic from the early 80's ... and still, I believe, directly
applicable to your question

2) Linux Server Hacks, Rob Flickener
A treasure chest of great ideas and ready-made solutions

Hope that helps ... and definitely, have fun!

Your .. PSM

This is helpful. Naturally, after I asked the question, then I found some useful links in the "Links" section of this site. Oops. Perhaps if some the Guides and tutorials used more of a problem-solving approach, it would be easier to see other instances how/where I might use a certain script.