Shell Scripting
What You WillLearn
● What scripts are.
● The components that make up a script.
● How to use variables in your scripts.
● How to perform tests and make decisions.
● How to accept command line arguments.
● How to accept input from a user.
Scripts
● Contain a series of commands.
● An interpreter executes commands in the
script.
● Anything you can type at the command line,
you can put in a script.
● Greatfor automating tasks.
[Link]
#!/bin/bash
echo "Scripting is fun!"
$ chmod 755 [Link]
$ ./[Link]
Scripting is fun!
$
Shebang
#!/bin/csh
echo "This script uses csh as the interpreter."
#!/bin/ksh
echo "This script uses ksh as the interpreter."
#!/bin/zsh
echo "This script uses zsh as the interpreter."
[Link]
#!/bin/bash
sleep 90
$ ./[Link] &
[1] 16796
$ ps -fp 16796
UID PID PPID C STIME TTY TIME CMD
jason 16796 16725 0 22:50 pts/0 00:00:00
/bin/bash ./[Link]
$
The interpreter executes the script
$ /tmp/[Link] &
[1] 16804
$ ps -fp 16804
UID PID PPID C STIME TTY TIME CMD
jason 16804 16725 0 22:51 pts/0 00:00:00
/bin/bash /tmp/[Link]
$
$ ps -ef| grep 16804 | grep -v grep
jason 16804 16725 0 22:51 pts/0 00:00:00
/bin/bash /tmp/[Link]
jason 16805 16804 0 22:51 pts/0 00:00:00
sleep 90
$ pstree –p 16804
[Link](16804)───sleep(16805)
$
Shebang or Not to Shebang
● If a script does not contain a shebang the
commands are executed using your shell.
● You might get lucky. Maybe. Hopefully.
● Different shells have slightly varying syntax.
More than just shell scripts
#!/usr/bin/python
print "This is a Python script."
$ chmod 755 [Link]
$ ./[Link]
This is a Python script.
$
Variables
● Storage locations that have a name
● Name-value pairs
● Syntax:
VARIABLE_NAME="Value"
● Variables are case sensitive
● By convention variables are uppercase
Variable Usage
#!/bin/bash
MY_SHELL="bash"
echo "I like the $MY_SHELL shell."
#!/bin/bash
MY_SHELL="bash"
echo "I like the ${MY_SHELL} shell."
#!/bin/bash
MY_SHELL="bash"
echo "I am ${MY_SHELL}ing on my keyboard."
Output:
I am bashing on my keyboard.
#!/bin/bash
MY_SHELL="bash"
echo "I am $MY_SHELLing on my keyboard."
Output:
I am on my keyboard.
Assign command output to a variable
#!/bin/bash
SERVER_NAME=$(hostname)
echo "You are running this script
on ${SERVER_NAME}."
Output:
You are running this script on linuxserver
Assign command output to a variable
#!/bin/bash
SERVER_NAME=`hostname`
echo "You are running this script
on ${SERVER_NAME}."
Output:
You are running this script on linuxserver
Variable Names
Valid:
FIRST3LETTERS="ABC"
FIRST_THREE_LETTERS="ABC"
firstThreeLetters="ABC"
Invalid:
3LETTERS="ABC"
first-three-letters="ABC"
first@Three@Letters="ABC"
Tests
Syntax:
[ condition-to-test-for ]
Example:
[ -e /etc/passwd ]
File operators (tests)
-d FILE True if file is a directory.
-e FILE True if file exists.
-f FILE True if file exists and is a regular file.
-r FILE True if file is readable by you.
-s FILE True if file exists and is not empty.
-w FILE True if the file is writable by you.
-x FILE True if the file is executable by you
String operators (tests)
-z STRING True if string is empty.
-n STRING True if string is not empty.
STRING1 = STRING2
True if the strings are equal.
STRING1 != STRING2
True if the strings are not equal
Arithmetic operators (tests)
arg1 –eq arg2 True if arg1 is equal to arg2.
arg1 –ne arg2 True if arg1 is not equal to arg2.
arg1 –lt arg2 True if arg1 is less than arg2.
arg1 –le arg2 True if arg1 is less than or equal to arg2.
arg1 –gt arg2 True if arg1 is greater than arg2.
arg1 –ge arg2 True if arg1 is greater than or equal to arg2
Making Decisions - The if statement
if [ condition-is-true ]
then
command 1
command 2
command N
fi
#!/bin/bash
MY_SHELL="bash"
if [ "$MY_SHELL" = "bash" ]
then
echo "You seem to like the bash shell."
fi
Output:
You seem to like the bash shell.
if/else
if [ condition-is-true ]
then
command N
else
command N
fi
#!/bin/bash
MY_SHELL="csh"
if [ "$MY_SHELL" = "bash" ]
then
echo "You seem to like the bash shell."
else
echo "You don't seem to like the bash
shell."
fi
if/elif/else
if [ condition-is-true ]
then
command N
elif [ condition-is-true ]
then
command N
else
command N
fi
#!/bin/bash
MY_SHELL="csh"
if [ "$MY_SHELL" = "bash" ]
then
echo "You seem to like the bash shell."
elif [ "$MY_SHELL" = "csh" ]
then
echo "You seem to like the csh shell."
else
echo "You don't seem to like the bash or csh shells."
fi
For loop
for VARIABLE_NAME in ITEM_1 ITEM_N
do
command 1
command 2
command N
done
#!/bin/bash
for COLOR in red green blue
do
echo "COLOR: $COLOR"
done
Output:
COLOR: red
COLOR: green
COLOR: blue
#!/bin/bash
COLORS="red green blue"
for COLOR in $COLORS
do
echo "COLOR: $COLOR"
done
#!/bin/bash
PICTURES=$(ls *jpg)
DATE=$(date +%F)
for PICTURE in $PICTURES
do
echo "Renaming ${PICTURE} to ${DATE}
-${PICTURE}"
mv ${PICTURE} ${DATE}-${PICTURE}
done
$ ls
[Link] [Link] [Link] [Link]
$ ./[Link]
Renaming [Link] to [Link]
Renaming [Link] to [Link]
Renaming [Link] to [Link]
$ ls
[Link] [Link]
[Link] [Link]
$
Positional Parameters
$ [Link] parameter1 parameter2 parameter3
$0 : "[Link]"
$1 : "parameter1"
$2 : "parameter2"
$3 : "parameter3"
#!/bin/bash
echo "Executing script: $0"
echo "Archiving user: $1"
# Lock the account
passwd –l $1
# Create an archive of the home directory.
tar cf /archives/${1}.[Link] /home/${1}
$ ./archive_user.sh elvis
Executing script: ./archive_user.sh
Archiving user: elvis
passwd: password expiry information changed.
tar: Removing leading `/' from member names
$
#!/bin/bash
USER=$1 # The first parameter is the user.
echo "Executing script: $0"
echo "Archiving user: $USER"
# Lock the account
passwd –l $USER
# Create an archive of the home directory.
tar cf /archives/${USER}.[Link] /home/${USER}
#!/bin/bash
echo "Executing script: $0"
for USER in $@
do
echo "Archiving user: $USER"
# Lock the account
passwd –l $USER
# Create an archive of the home directory.
tar cf /archives/${USER}.[Link] /home/${USER}
done
$ ./archive_user.sh chet joe
Executing script: ./archive_user.sh
Archiving user: chet
passwd: password expiry information changed.
tar: Removing leading `/' from member names
Archiving user: joe
passwd: password expiry information changed.
tar: Removing leading `/' from member names
$
Accepting User Input(STDIN)
The read command accepts STDIN.
Syntax:
read -p "PROMPT" VARIABLE
#!/bin/bash
read –p "Enter a user name: " USER
echo "Archiving user: $USER"
# Lock the account
passwd –l $USER
# Create an archive of the home directory.
tar cf /archives/${USER}.[Link] /home/${USER}
$ ./archive_user.sh
Enter a user name: mitch
Archiving user: mitch
passwd: password expiry information changed.
tar: Removing leading `/' from member names
$
Summary
#!/path/to/interpreter
VARIABLE_NAME="Value"
$VARIABLE_NAME
${VARIABLE_NAME}
VARIABLE_NAME=$(command)
if [ condition-is-true ]
then
commands
elif [ condition-is-true ]
then
commands
else
commands
fi
For Loop
for VARIABLE_NAME in ITEM_1 ITEM_N
do
command 1
command 2
command N
done
Summary, continued.
Positional Parameters:
$0, $1, $2 … $9
$@
Comments start with #.
Use read to accept input.