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Course

Introduction to Shell

Beginner

4.8+

Updated 05/2025

The Unix command line helps users combine existing programs in new ways, automate repetitive tasks, and run programs on clusters and clouds.

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ShellProgramming4 hours55 Exercises4,650 XP138,067Statement of Accomplishment

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Course Description

The Unix command line has survived and thrived for almost 50 years because it lets people do complex things with just a few keystrokes. Sometimes called "the universal glue of programming," it helps users combine existing programs in new ways, automate repetitive tasks, and run programs on clusters and clouds that may be halfway around the world. This course will introduce its key elements and show you how to use them efficiently.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for this course

1

Manipulating files and directories

How does the shell compare to a desktop interface?

Where am I?

How can I identify files and directories?

How else can I identify files and directories?

How can I move to another directory?

How can I move up a directory?

How can I copy files?

How can I move a file?

How can I rename files?

How can I delete files?

How can I create and delete directories?

Wrapping up

2

Manipulating data

How can I view a file's contents?

How can I view a file's contents piece by piece?

How can I look at the start of a file?

How can I type less?

How can I control what commands do?

How can I list everything below a directory?

How can I get help for a command?

How can I select columns from a file?

What can't cut do?

How can I repeat commands?

How can I select lines containing specific values?

Why isn't it always safe to treat data as text?

3

Combining tools

How can I store a command's output in a file?

How can I use a command's output as an input?

What's a better way to combine commands?

How can I combine many commands?

How can I count the records in a file?

How can I specify many files at once?

What other wildcards can I use?

How can I sort lines of text?

How can I remove duplicate lines?

How can I save the output of a pipe?

How can I stop a running program?

Wrapping up

4

Batch processing

How does the shell store information?

How can I print a variable's value?

How else does the shell store information?

How can I repeat a command many times?

How can I repeat a command once for each file?

How can I record the names of a set of files?

A variable's name versus its value

How can I run many commands in a single loop?

Why shouldn't I use spaces in filenames?

How can I do many things in a single loop?

5

Creating new tools

How can I edit a file?

How can I record what I just did?

How can I save commands to re-run later?

How can I re-use pipes?

How can I pass filenames to scripts?

How can I process a single argument?

How can one shell script do many things?

How can I write loops in a shell script?

What happens when I don't provide filenames?

Introduction to Shell

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