How to write your first Shell Script in linux?

By: Vivek G. in Linux Tutorials on 2011-01-09

Following steps are required to write shell script:

(1) Use any editor like vi or mcedit to write shell script.

(2) After writing shell script set execute permission for your script as follows

syntax:

chmod permission your-script-name

Examples:

$ chmod +x your-script-name
$ chmod 755 your-script-name

Note: This will set read write execute(7) permission for owner, for group and other permission is read and execute only(5).

(3) Execute your script assyntax:

bash your-script-name
sh your-script-name
./your-script-name

Examples:

$ bash bar
$ sh bar
$ ./bar

NOTE In the last syntax ./ means current directory, But only . (dot) means execute given command file in current shell without starting the new copy of shell, The syntax for . (dot) command is as follows
Syntax:

. command-name

Example:

$ . foo

Now you are ready to write first shell script that will print "Knowledge is Power" on screen.

$ vi first
        #
        # My first shell script
        #
        clear
        echo "Knowledge is Power"

After saving the above script, you can run the script as follows:

$ ./first

This will not run script since we have not set execute permission for our script first; to do this type command

$ chmod 755 first
$ ./first

First screen will be clear, then Knowledge is Power is printed on screen.

Script Command(s)	Meaning
$ vi first	Start vi editor
# # My first shell script #	# followed by any text is considered as comment. Comment gives more information about script, logical explanation about shell script. Syntax: # comment-text
clear	clear the screen
echo "Knowledge is Power"	To print message or value of variables on screen, we use echo command, general form of echo command is as follows syntax: echo "Message"