Shell Scripting Exam Cheatsheet — Student Edition
1. Listing Files and Directories
Used to view files, directories, and their details.
ls # List files
ls -l # Long format
ls -a # Show hidden files
pwd # Show current path
tree # Display directory structure
2. Managing Files and Directories
Commands to create, move, copy, rename, or delete files/folders.
mkdir dir1 # Create directory
rmdir dir1 # Remove empty directory
rm -r dir1 # Delete directory with contents
cp f1 f2 # Copy file
mv f1 newname # Move or rename
touch f1 # Create empty file
rm f1 # Remove file
3. Input and Output Redirection
Redirect command input/output to files or between commands.
cmd > file # Redirect output
cmd >> file # Append output
cmd < file # Input from file
cmd1 | cmd2 # Pipe output to next command
4. If, Then, and Nested If Statements
Used for conditional execution in scripts.
if [ condition ]; then
commands
elif [ condition ]; then
commands
else
commands
fi
5. Test Command Classes
Used to evaluate string, numeric, or file conditions.
[ "$a" = "$b" ] # String comparison
[ $a -gt $b ] # Numeric comparison
[ -f file ] # File exists/type check
6. Looping Statements (for, until, while)
Used to repeat commands until a condition changes.
for i in 1 2 3; do echo $i; done
while [ $n -le 5 ]; do echo $n; ((n++)); done
until [ $n -gt 5 ]; do echo $n; ((n++)); done
7. Passing Parameters
Send arguments to a script while running it.
#!/bin/bash
echo "1st: $1, 2nd: $2"
echo "All: $@"
echo "Count: $#
8. Tracking Parameters
Special variables to track arguments and process info.
$0 # Script name
$1 # First argument
$@ # All arguments
$# # No. of arguments
$$ # Script PID
$? # Exit status
9. Handling Signals
Trap system signals (like Ctrl+C) to handle them gracefully.
trap "echo 'Ctrl+C pressed!'; exit" SIGINT
10. Automatic Script Execution
Run scripts automatically using schedulers (cron/at).
crontab -e
0 17 * * * /path/[Link] # Run daily at 5PM
at 17:00 -f [Link] # One-time run
11. Creating and Using Functions
Reusable code blocks to organize scripts better.
greet() { echo "Hello $1"; }
greet "Rahul
12. Recursive Function
A function that calls itself until a condition is met.
fact() {
if [ $1 -le 1 ]; then echo 1
else echo $(( $1 * $(fact $(( $1 - 1 )) ) ))
fi
}
fact 5
13. Arrays and Variables in Functions
Store multiple values and use local variables inside functions.
arr=(10 20 30)
echo ${arr[0]} # Access array element
func() {
local x=5
echo "x=$x"
}
14. sed and gawk Editors
Text processing tools for searching, replacing, and formatting data.
# sed (stream editor)
sed 's/old/new/g' file
# gawk (pattern processing)
awk '{print $1, $3}' file
15. Regular Expressions
Patterns to match and filter text strings.
grep "^R" file # Lines starting with R
grep "[0-9]$" file # Lines ending with a number
16. Multiline Commands
Used to write long commands or blocks of text.
echo "This is a long line"
cat <<EOF
Hello Rahul
Multi-line text
EOF
17. Reexamining gawk
gawk uses patterns and actions to process fields/records.
awk '{print NR, $0}' file # Print line number and content
18. Using Variables in gawk
Pass shell variables into awk for dynamic processing.
awk -v name="Rahul" '{print name, $1}' file
19. Describe Dash Shell
Lightweight POSIX-compliant shell — fast, minimal, and efficient.
- Default /bin/sh in Ubuntu
- No arrays or advanced bash features
20. Describe Zsh Shell
An advanced shell with themes, plugins, and smart features.
- Auto-suggestions, spell check, and Oh-My-Zsh customization
- Bash-compatible and user-friendly
21. Writing Database Shell Script
Interact with databases (like SQLite or MySQL) inside a script.
sqlite3 [Link] "CREATE TABLE users(id INT, name TEXT);"
sqlite3 [Link] "INSERT INTO users VALUES(1,'Rahul');"
sqlite3 [Link] "SELECT * FROM users;
22. String Manipulation
Modify, slice, or transform string variables.
name="RahulM"
echo ${#name} # Length
echo ${name:0:3} # Substring
echo ${name/M/mona} # Replace
echo ${name^^} # Uppercase
echo ${name,,} # Lowercase