SHELL Shell script

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File Information

File Description

Shell script

Category

Code

Extensions

.sh

MIME Type

text/x-shellscript

Shell Script

What is a Shell script file?

A Shell script (.sh) file is a text file containing a series of commands that can be executed by a Unix shell interpreter. Shell scripts automate repetitive tasks, system administration operations, and complex command sequences by combining shell commands, variables, control structures, and functions into executable programs. These scripts are fundamental to Unix-like operating systems including Linux, macOS, and various Unix distributions.

More Information

Shell scripting has its roots in the early days of Unix, developed at Bell Labs in the 1970s. The original Bourne shell (sh) was created by Stephen Bourne in 1979, providing the foundation for shell scripting as we know it today. Over the decades, various shells have been developed including the C shell (csh), Korn shell (ksh), and the widely popular Bash (Bourne Again Shell), which combines features from multiple shells.

Shell scripts serve as the backbone of system administration, automation, and DevOps practices in Unix-like environments. They enable system administrators and developers to automate complex workflows, manage system configurations, deploy applications, and perform batch operations efficiently. The power of shell scripting lies in its ability to orchestrate existing command-line tools and system utilities into sophisticated automation solutions.

Shell Script Format

Shell scripts follow specific syntax rules and conventions:

Basic Structure

  • Shebang line - #!/bin/bash or #!/bin/sh specifies interpreter
  • Comments - Lines starting with # for documentation
  • Variables - Store and manipulate data
  • Commands - System commands and utilities
  • Control structures - if/else, loops, case statements
  • Functions - Reusable code blocks

Key Features

  • Command execution - Run system commands and programs
  • Variable manipulation - String and numeric operations
  • File operations - Read, write, and manipulate files
  • Process control - Background jobs and signal handling
  • Input/output - Redirection and piping
  • Error handling - Exit codes and error checking

Variables and Data Types

  • String variables - TEXT="Hello World"
  • Numeric variables - NUMBER=42
  • Arrays - ARRAY=(item1 item2 item3)
  • Environment variables - $PATH, $HOME, $USER
  • Special variables - $0, $1, $?, $$, $#
  • Command substitution - $(command) or command

Example Shell Script

#!/bin/bash

# Script: system_backup.sh
# Purpose: Automated system backup with logging
# Author: System Administrator
# Date: $(date)

set -euo pipefail  # Exit on error, undefined variables, pipe failures

# Configuration variables
BACKUP_DIR="/backup"
SOURCE_DIRS=("/home" "/etc" "/var/log")
LOG_FILE="/var/log/backup.log"
TIMESTAMP=$(date +"%Y%m%d_%H%M%S")
BACKUP_NAME="system_backup_${TIMESTAMP}"

# Colors for output
RED='\033[0;31m'
GREEN='\033[0;32m'
YELLOW='\033[1;33m'
NC='\033[0m' # No Color

# Logging function
log_message() {
    local level=$1
    shift
    local message="$@"
    echo "[$(date '+%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S')] [$level] $message" | tee -a "$LOG_FILE"
}

# Error handling function
error_exit() {
    log_message "ERROR" "$1"
    exit 1
}

# Check if running as root
check_permissions() {
    if [[ $EUID -ne 0 ]]; then
        error_exit "This script must be run as root"
    fi
}

# Create backup directory
create_backup_dir() {
    local backup_path="${BACKUP_DIR}/${BACKUP_NAME}"
    
    if [[ ! -d "$BACKUP_DIR" ]]; then
        mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR" || error_exit "Failed to create backup directory"
    fi
    
    mkdir -p "$backup_path" || error_exit "Failed to create backup subdirectory"
    echo "$backup_path"
}

# Backup function
perform_backup() {
    local backup_path=$1
    local total_size=0
    
    log_message "INFO" "Starting backup to $backup_path"
    
    for source_dir in "${SOURCE_DIRS[@]}"; do
        if [[ -d "$source_dir" ]]; then
            log_message "INFO" "Backing up $source_dir"
            
            # Create archive with compression
            local archive_name=$(basename "$source_dir").tar.gz
            
            if tar -czf "${backup_path}/${archive_name}" -C "$(dirname "$source_dir")" "$(basename "$source_dir")" 2>/dev/null; then
                local size=$(du -sh "${backup_path}/${archive_name}" | cut -f1)
                log_message "SUCCESS" "Backup of $source_dir completed (Size: $size)"
                total_size=$((total_size + $(stat -c%s "${backup_path}/${archive_name}")))
            else
                log_message "WARNING" "Failed to backup $source_dir"
            fi
        else
            log_message "WARNING" "Source directory $source_dir does not exist"
        fi
    done
    
    # Convert bytes to human readable format
    local human_size=$(numfmt --to=iec --suffix=B $total_size)
    log_message "INFO" "Total backup size: $human_size"
}

# Cleanup old backups (keep last 7 days)
cleanup_old_backups() {
    log_message "INFO" "Cleaning up old backups"
    find "$BACKUP_DIR" -name "system_backup_*" -type d -mtime +7 -exec rm -rf {} \; 2>/dev/null || true
}

# System health check
system_health_check() {
    log_message "INFO" "Performing system health check"
    
    # Check disk space
    local disk_usage=$(df / | awk 'NR==2 {print $5}' | sed 's/%//')
    if [[ $disk_usage -gt 90 ]]; then
        log_message "WARNING" "Disk usage is at ${disk_usage}%"
    fi
    
    # Check memory usage
    local mem_usage=$(free | awk 'NR==2{printf "%.2f", $3*100/$2}')
    log_message "INFO" "Memory usage: ${mem_usage}%"
    
    # Check system load
    local load_avg=$(uptime | awk -F'load average:' '{print $2}' | awk '{print $1}' | sed 's/,//')
    log_message "INFO" "System load: $load_avg"
}

# Main execution
main() {
    echo -e "${GREEN}Starting System Backup Script${NC}"
    
    # Perform checks
    check_permissions
    system_health_check
    
    # Create backup
    local backup_path=$(create_backup_dir)
    perform_backup "$backup_path"
    
    # Cleanup
    cleanup_old_backups
    
    log_message "SUCCESS" "Backup completed successfully"
    echo -e "${GREEN}Backup completed! Check $LOG_FILE for details${NC}"
}

# Script execution with error handling
if [[ "${BASH_SOURCE[0]}" == "${0}" ]]; then
    trap 'error_exit "Script interrupted"' INT TERM
    main "$@"
fi

How to work with Shell script files

Shell scripts can be created and executed using various tools:

Shell Interpreters

  • Bash - Most popular shell with extensive features
  • Zsh - Advanced shell with improved features
  • Fish - User-friendly shell with modern features
  • Dash - Lightweight POSIX-compliant shell
  • Ksh - Korn shell with advanced scripting features

Text Editors

  • vim/neovim - Powerful command-line editors
  • nano - Simple, user-friendly editor
  • emacs - Extensible text editor
  • Visual Studio Code - Modern editor with shell script extensions
  • Sublime Text - Lightweight editor with syntax highlighting

Development Tools

  • shellcheck - Static analysis tool for shell scripts
  • shfmt - Shell script formatter
  • bats - Bash testing framework
  • bash-completion - Programmable completion for bash
  • debug mode - bash -x for execution tracing

Execution Methods

  • Direct execution - ./script.sh (requires execute permission)
  • Interpreter execution - bash script.sh
  • Source execution - source script.sh or . script.sh
  • Background execution - ./script.sh & (run in background)

Common Shell Script Patterns

Shell scripts often use these patterns:

  • Argument parsing - getopts for command-line options
  • Configuration files - Source external configuration
  • Logging - Structured logging with timestamps
  • Error handling - set -e, trap, and exit codes
  • Signal handling - trap for cleanup on interruption
  • File locking - Prevent concurrent executions

Best Practices

Writing robust shell scripts:

  • Use strict mode - set -euo pipefail
  • Quote variables - "$variable" to prevent word splitting
  • Check dependencies - Verify required commands exist
  • Input validation - Validate user input and arguments
  • Error handling - Handle failures gracefully
  • Documentation - Clear comments and usage information
  • Testing - Test scripts with various inputs and conditions

Security Considerations

Shell script security is crucial:

  • Input sanitization - Validate and sanitize all inputs
  • Avoid eval - Don't use eval with user input
  • File permissions - Set appropriate execute permissions
  • Temporary files - Use secure temporary file creation
  • Path safety - Use absolute paths when possible
  • Privilege escalation - Minimize elevated privileges

Common Use Cases

Shell scripts are extensively used for:

  • System administration - User management, system monitoring
  • Automation - Repetitive task automation
  • Build processes - Compilation and deployment scripts
  • Backup operations - Data backup and recovery
  • Log analysis - Processing and analyzing log files
  • DevOps workflows - CI/CD pipeline automation
  • Environment setup - Development environment configuration
  • Monitoring scripts - System health checks and alerts
  • Data processing - Batch processing of files and data

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