The Saigon CTT

The Linux Shell and

BASH Scripting
 Objectives
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 Identify differrent Linux shell environments

 Understand the redirection of input

 Understand and utilize command substitution

 Write and configure BASH script using

variables, flow controls interactive input,
functions, arithmetic and arrays
 Example of Script
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$ more example_script
#!/bin/bash
/usr/bin/nmbd -D
/usr/bin/smbd -D
 The Linux Shell
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 Shells : Bourne (sh), Bourne Again

(bash), Korn (ksh), C shell (csh, tcsh)

 Programs start from command line have

separate environments : parameters,
variables , functions.
 The Linux Shell
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 Shells : Bourne (sh), Bourne Again

(bash), Korn (ksh), C shell (csh, tcsh)

 Programs start from command line have

separate environments : parameters,
variables , functions.
 Shell Environment Customize
 bash config files :
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• /etc/profile
• ~/.bash_profile,
~/.bash_login,
~/.profile, ..
 Default environment variables : PS1, PS2,
HOME, LOGNAME, SHELL, PATH,
PAGER, LPDEST, PWD, DISPLAY,
MAIL, ..

 set, unset, export, … commands

 Using the bash shell
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 Alt+Fn

 gpm : mouse server deamon

 up and down keys (~/.bash_history )

 Ctrl+Z, Ctrl+C, *, ?, …
 Redirecting Input and Output
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 Input (<) or (<0)

#mail [email protected] < file_name
 Output (>) or (1>)
# ls –l > file_name
( set –C or set –o noclobber : prevent
overwrite )
 Append (>>)
 Error (2>)
 Redirecting Input and Output
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 Pipe (|)
#ls –l *.JPG | tee file_name
#ls –al /root | grep error >error_file

 Back ticks (`) or “$()”

# which passwd
/usr/bin/passwd
# ls –l `which passwd`
-r-sr-xr-x 1 root root 13476 Aug 7 /usr/bin/passwd
 Redirecting Input and Output
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 Sometimes the output of a command is a

list (ex: ls) and we wish to execute
another command on each of the
entries, use xargs
#ls | xargs grep README

Do Not use :
#ls –al | xarg grep README
 Background jobs
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 Job
#ls –l *.JPG | tee file_name
#ls –al /root | grep error >error_file

 Backround jobs :
- Append with (&)
or
- Ctrl+Z and #bg %job_id
 Variables
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 Naming : not begin with a digit

 Assigning : VAR=value
VAR=$(command)
VAR=`command`
Note : not SPACES around “=”

Ex: # VAR=“Hello World”

 Variables
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 Quotes and Command Substitution

Note: # VAR=“Hello World”

# echo “$VAR”  Hello World
# echo ‘$VAR’  $VAR

# VAR1=`ls /var/log | wc –l`

# echo $VAR1
65
 Variable Notation
 Expand variables : use ${VAR}
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# VAR1=“This is a String1”
# VAR2=“$VAR1xyz”
# VAR3=“${VAR1}xyz”
# VAR4=‘${VAR1}xyz’
# echo $VAR1; echo $VAR2; echo $VAR3
# echo $VAR4
This is a String1
Nothing # default
This is a String1xyz
 Passing Info to Sript
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 On the command line, info can be passed to script

through pre-set variables called postion parameter.
$0 The name of script
$1-$9 Parameters being passed to script
$* String contains ALL parameters
passed to script separated
by the first chacracter in
IFS
$@ A list of ALL as separate string
$# Number of parameters on included
the command line
 The shift command will shift the positional
parameters one or more position to the left or right.
 Flow control
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 Loops : do something more than one

 Loop commands : for, while, until

 The for loop
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 Syntax :
for <variable> in <list>
do
#list of commands to do
done
 The for loop Example
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#!/bin/bash
for file in $(ls *.txt)
do
newname=“$(basename $file .txt).html”
mv $file $newname
done
 The while and until loop
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 Syntax :
while <condition>
do
#list of commands to do
done

until <condition>
do
#list of commands to do
done
 The while loop Example
count=0
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while [$count –lt 4]

do
echo $count
count=$((count +1))
done
Output:
0
1
2
 Return codes/Exit status
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 The variable $? contains the return code of

the previous executed command or
application.
0 Success
0 Failure
 The exit n command will cause the
script to quit and assign the value of n to
the variable $?
 Tests and Conditions (p.10-18)
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 Test : use “[ ]” around expression

 if-then-else :
if [ <exp1> ] # include SPACEs
then
# what to do if the exp1 is true
elseif [ <exp2> ]
then
# what to do if the exp2 is true
else
fi
 Tests and Conditions
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 Case test:
case expression in
pattern1 )
action
;;
pattern2 )
action
;;
…
esac
 case test Example
while [ $1 ]
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do
echo –n “$1 hits the “
case $1 in
a?c | ab? )
echo “first case.” ;;
abcde )
echo “second case.” ;;
abc123 )
echo “third case.” ;;
* )
echo “fallout case.” ;;
esac
shift
done
 Input
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 We can input the information into script

when executing the script ( interactive)

 Commands :
read
select
 Input - read
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 Allow to read values into variables

 Syntax :

read VAR1 VAR2 …

 If there is more input than you are

looking for, all the extras are put in the
last variable.
 Input – read Example
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#!/bin/bash

echo “Enter 2 number, i will add them”

read VAR1 VAR2

echo “$VAR1 + $VAR2 =$(($VAR1+$VAR2))”

 Input - select
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 It is great for creating menu

 Syntax :

select VAR [in list]

do

#commands that use $VAR

done
 Functions
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Syntax:
function function_name
{
}
Or
function_name ()
{
}
 Functions
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 Functions can be called in the main

script by function’s name, parameters
are given on the command line.

 It inherits ALL variables in main script

 We can change the return code of

function by using return n command
 Advanced bash Concepts
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 Arithmetic Expression :
 Arrays : var[subscript]
 More thrilling Examples
for file in $(ls file*)
do
mv $file ${file%html}txt
done
 Summary
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Step 1 : create script file (cat, vi, mc, …),

enter script codes.

Step 2 : add execute permission mode to

file ( chmod +x file )

Step 3 : run it (add script directory to

PATH environment or use absolute path)