Section #7
1 Bash Shell Scripting
Using the bash shell, variables, and commands can be only written one at a
time.In order to get over this limitation, we use a script.
Script: A file containing multiple commands, variables,... etc.
Before we start we need to install a
Text Editor called ( nano )
log in as a “ root ” THEN
[root@localhost /home]# yum install nano
Steps of creating and running a bash shell script
1. Create a new file ending with the extension (.sh)
[ahmad@localhost /home]$ touch first_script.sh
2. Open your file using an editor of your choice ( here we’re using nano )
[ahmad@localhost /home]$ nano first_script.sh
3. Add ( #!/bin/bash ) to the first line of your file.
4. Move to the next line and add some commands.
#!/bin/bash
file_name=”Ahmad”
touch $file_name
Save → ctrl + o
Exit → ctrl + x
5. Run ( bash first_script.sh ), assuming the script name is
“first_script.sh”
6. To make sure everything worked just fine .. run
[ahmad@localhost /home]$ ls
7. Another way to run your script is to add an execute permission to the
script and then running it as follows ( ./first_script.sh )
[ahmad@localhost /home]$ chmod u+x first_script.sh
[ahmad@localhost /home]$ ./first_script.sh
bashrc file
a bash script that is used to hold your
variables, and functions permanently
System wide version → /etc/bashrc
Runs each time you login with any username
User specific version → /home/ahmad/.bashrc
{{ replace ahmad with your username }}
Runs each time you create a new session
==> Adding a welcome message to the user Ahmad
[ahmad@localhost /]$ cd ~
[ahmad@localhost /home]$ nano .bashrc
Move to the last line of the file
# .bashrc
# Source global definitions
if [ -f /etc/bashrc ]; then
. /etc/bashrc
fi
# Uncomment the following line if you don't ..
# export SYSTEMD_PAGER=
# User specific aliases and functions
# Add the following Line
echo “ Hello ”$USER
save ( ctrl + O ) THEN exit ( ctrl + x )
logout and log in again you’ll see a welcoming message “ Hello Ahmad ”.
Assignments
1. Write a shell script that reads some input from
the user and prints it back to the user again.
#!/bin/sh
echo “Enter your name: ”
read Name
echo “You entered”$Name
# Notice we didn’t need + sign to concatenate
2. edit the “/etc/bashrc” file to add a welcoming
message and try multiple users to login and make
sure the message is displayed to everyone
2 If Statement
→ general form
if [ expression ]; then
echo “True side of the if statement”
# You can add as many instructions as
# needed
else # else is OPTIONAL
echo “False side of the if statement”
# You can add as many instructions as
# needed
fi
→ Other forms
if [ expression ] # remove Semicolon
then # move then t o new
line
echo “True side of the if statement”
else
echo “False side of the if statement”
fi
if [[ expression ]] # Double Brackets
then
echo “True side of the if statement”
else
echo “False side of the if statement”
fi
Double Bracket is called EXTENDED brackets
it has more features than single brackets
for example .. it can be used for testing Regular
expressions ( more on this later )
--------------------------------------------------
if you want to compare numbers using normal
comparison symbols ( > , < , == )
and NOT stuff like ( gt , lt , eq )
> → greater than → -gt
< → less than → -lt
== → equal → -eq
if (( expression )) # Integer Comparison
then
echo “True side of the if statement”
else
echo “False side of the if statement”
fi
Example #1
x=13
if [ $x -lt 50 ] # single Brackets
then
echo “$x is less than 50”
else
echo “$x is NOT less than 50”
fi
-eq # equal
-ne # not equal
-lt # less than
-le # less than or equal
-gt # greater t han
-ge # greater than or equal
x=13
if [[ $x -lt 50 ]] # double Brackets
then
echo “$x is less than 50”
else
echo “$x is NOT less than 50”
fi
x=13
if (( $x < 50 )) # integer comparison
then
echo “$x is less than 50”
else
echo “$x is NOT less than 50”
fi
Example #2
in fact we can use the <
symbol inside the
double brackets notation .. but it won’t give us the
expected results.
x=13
if [[ $x < 50 ]]
then
echo “$x is less than 50”
else
echo “$x is NOT less than 50”
fi
this will print “ 13 is less than 50 ” as expected
But what if we change it to something like this
x=100
if [[ $x < 20 ]]
then
echo “$x is less than 20”
else
echo “$x is NOT less than 20”
fi
this will ALSO print “ 1 3 is less than 50 ”
Apparently .. this is wrong.
in fact it considers the two numbers to be
STRINGS
and compares them “ character by character ”
that’s why it considers “ 100 “ is less than “ 20 “
Example #3 ( Strings )
if [[ “cat” == “cat” ] ]
then
echo “True”
else
echo “False”
fi
I can use “ == “ OR “ -eq “ with double brackets
if [ “cat” == “cat” ] # RIGHT
then
echo “True”
else
echo “False”
fi
I can use only “ == “ with single brackets
if I try
if [ “cat” -eq “cat” ] # WRONG
then
echo “True”
else
echo “False”
fi
it won’t work.
In General
inside the single and double square brackets:
→ use ( ==, <, > ) for comparing Strings
→ use ( -eq, -lt, -gt, ... ) for comparing
Numbers
3 while Loop
has the same syntax used in an if statement.
i=0
while [[ $i -lt 10 ]]
do
echo “i now is ”$i
(( i++ ))
done
another form with a semicolon.
i=0
while [[ $i -lt 10 ]] ; do
echo “i now is ”$i
(( i++ ))
done
3 until Loop
the opposite of the while loop .. it keeps running
as long as the condition is FALSE.
i=0
until [[ $i -gt 10 ]] ; do
echo “i now is ”$i
(( i++ ))
done
4 f or Loop
a for loop iterates through a list of items.
this list could be in any form, for example:
# a list of items separated by a space
→ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
# the brace expansion we used before
# the next generates the following sequence
# 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8
→ {1..8}
# we can also specify an interval ( each step
# is by 2 not 1 )
# the next generates the following sequence
# 1, 3, 5, 7, 9
→ {1..10..2}
for i in 1 2 3
do
echo “i now is ”$i
done
prints:
i now is 1
i now is 2
i now is 3
for i in {1..3}
do
echo “i now is ”$i
done
prints:
i now is 1
i now is 2
i now is 3
for i in {1..8..3}
do
echo “i now is ”$i
done
prints:
i now is 1
i now is 4
i now is 7
For loops can also iterate through the OUTPUT of
another command:
for i in $( ls )
do
echo “current file is: ”$i
done
