7 Free eBooks on Shell Scripting!

Using Shell in Linux/Unix anyway makes the process faster but how about making the scripts and automating the shell? Shell scripting is a powerful method of automating your shell commands to make your machine work faster. Here are 7 eBooks to help you understand Shell scripting better.

1. Linux Shell Scripting Cookbook

The introduction of the books says, "GNU/Linux is a remarkable operating system that comes with a complete development environment that is stable, reliable, and extremely powerful. The shell being the native interface to communicate with the operating system is capable of controlling the entire operating system. There are numerous commands on Linux shell which are documented but hard to understand. The man pages are helpful but they are very lengthy and it does not give any clues on key areas where commands can be used. Proper usage of shell commands can easily solve many complex tasks with a few lines of code, but most linux users don't have the right know-how to use the Linux shell to its full potential."

2. Linux Command Line and Shell Scripting Bible, 2nd Edition

The introduction of the books says, "The Linux command line allows you to type specific Linux commands directly to the system so that you can easily manipulate files and query system resources, thereby permitting you to automate commonly used functions and even schedule those programs to run automatically. This new edition is packed with new and revised content, reflecting the many changes to new Linux versions, including coverage of alternative shells to the default bash shell. In addition, this edition features a host of real-world examples, so you can see how the scripts work in application."

3. Shell Scripting

The introduction of the books says, "The shell is the primary way of communicating with Unix and Linux systems, providing a direct way to program by automating simple to intermediate tasks. In this invaluable resource, Unix, Linux, and shell scripting expert Steve Parker shares a collection of shell scripting recipes that can be used as provided or easily modified for a variety of environments and situations. The book begins with coverage of theory and principles, replete with insightful examples of each element discussed. You then move on to an in-depth discussion of shell programming, covering all Unix flavors but with a focus on Linux and the Bash shell. All the while, you explore credible, real-world recipes and the tools necessary to get started immediately."

4. Expert Shell Scripting

The introduction of the books says, "System administrators need libraries of solutions that are ingenious but understandable. They don't want to reinvent the wheel, but they don't want to reinvent filesystem management either! Expert Shell Scripting is the ultimate resource for all working Linux, Unix, and OS X system administrators who would like to have short, succinct, and powerful shell implementations of tricky system scripting tasks. Automating small to medium system management tasks; Analyzing system data and editing configuration files; Scripting Linux, Unix, and OS X applications using bash, ksh, et al."

5. Mastering Unix Shell Scripting, 2nd Edition

The introduction of the books says, "UNIX expert Randal K. Michael guides you through every detail of writing shell scripts to automate specific tasks. Each chapter begins with a typical, everyday UNIX challenge, then shows you how to take basic syntax and turn it into a shell scripting solution. Covering Bash, Bourne, and Korn shell scripting, this updated edition provides complete shell scripts plus detailed descriptions of each part. UNIX programmers and system administrators can tailor these to build tools that monitor for specific system events and situations, building solid UNIX shell scripting skills to solve real-world system administration problems."

6. Linux Command Line and Shell Scripting Bible

The introduction of the books says, "There's a lot to be said for going back to basics. Not only does this Bible give you a quick refresher on the structure of open-source Linux software, it also shows you how to bypass the hefty graphical user interface on Linux systems and start interacting the fast and efficient way with command lines and automated scripts. You'll learn how to manage files on the filesystem, start and stop programs, use databases, even do Web programming without a GUI with this one-stop resource."

7. Mastering Unix Shell Scripting

The introduction of the books says, "Provides readers with end-to-end shell scripts that can be used to automate repetitive tasks and solve real-world system administration problems. Targets the specific command structure for four popular UNIX systems: Solaris, Linux, AIX, and HP-UX. Illustrates dozens of example tasks, presenting the proper command syntax and analyzing the performance gain or loss using various control structure techniques."