Linux bash shell command shortcuts and tips

Posted by Vivek Gite [Last updated: December 13, 2006]

Bourne-again shell (BASH) is default shell for most Linux distro as well as on Mac OS X Tiger, and it can be run on most Unix-like operating systems. It has also been ported to Microsoft Windows within the Cygwin POSIX emulation environment for Windows, and to MS-DOS by the DJGPP project.

This article covers bash shell command line shortcuts and other utilities that will speed up your work:
Ease your system administration tasks by taking advantage of key parts of the Bourne-again shell (bash) and its features. Bash is a popular alternative to the original Bourne and Korn shells. It provides an impressive range of additional functionality that includes improvements to the scripting environment, extensive aliasing techniques, and improved methods for automatically completing different commands, files, and paths.

The typical UNIX or Linux administrator has a key range of utilities, tricks, and systems he or she uses regularly to aid in the process of administration. There are key utilities, command-line chains, and scripts that are used to simplify different processes. Some of these tools come with the operating system, but a majority of the tricks come through years of experience and a desire to ease the system administrator's life. The focus of this series is on getting the most from the available tools across a range of different UNIX environments, including methods of simplifying administration in a heterogeneous environment.

=> System Administration Toolkit: Get the most out of bash

Want to stay up to date with the latest Linux tips, news and announcements? Subscribe to our free e-mail newsletter or RSS feed to get all updates. You can Email this page to a friend.