This information is provided in case you want it. You will not need it for this course.
A script is a file that contains commands. When you run the script, the commands are performed. This page describes briefly how to write and run scripts in Linux.
The first line of a script should give the command
interpreter to use. If you want your script to be read
by the bash command interpreter, the first line should be
#!/bin/bash
To use the sh command interpreter (often used for scripts),
use first line
#!/bin/sh
For example, when script
#!/bin/bash mv * ~/.remove/is performed, it moves all files in the current working directory into directory .remove in your home directory.
To run a script, put it into a file and mark that file as executable. If the file is called rmall, then
chmod u+x rmallchanges the permissions (called the mode) of file rmall so that the user (that is, you) can execute it. Now command
./rmallruns the script in file rmall.
A script can use command-line parameters. Write $1 to refer
to the first parameter, $2 to the second, etc. For example,
suppose that the following is stored in a file called show.
#!/bin/sh
echo $1
cd $1
ls
Then, after you have marked show to be executable, command
./show 2530will write
2530 …where the … part is a listing of what is found in directory 2530. That is very similar to what is done by command
ls 2530