Like most sys admin, I'm lazy. I try to automate almost all things in order to save time. Inexperienced sys admin and help desk staff working under me finds all these tools useful. It saves their time and avoids security issues. Automation allows help desk staff to do things that they don't have enough direct system knowledge to do themselves. However, selecting correct tool and applying correct methodology is very important.
Personally, I prefer BASH, Perl and Python (best glue languages) for my automation and sys admin work needs. Currently, I'm learning Django a high-level Python web framework with rapid development and clean, pragmatic design. It is important to note that Perl / Python is not the answer to all of your sys admin problems or web projects. What appropriate scripting language do you use to solve problems? What do you guys think?
[poll id="4"]
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{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
Groovy :-)
Javascript Just kidding, Can Ant be considered in this category?
It was a hard choice… broke it down based on the post… I use Bash to automate almost everything I do… but when it comes to selecting a Scripting language for programming, I go with Python, but for most hardcore programming…. I’m a dev… so I use C or Java, but Python is on its way to replacing both in my head.
LUA should be named too.
Greets from a daily reader, keep up the good work
I use zsh more than bash, however, I use python when the script’s estimated use time exceeds 3 hours.
haskell
bash has, by far, replaces csh/sh for me. Starting in on ruby.
There are still a few things that are just easier to do in good old fashioned c though. :)
Bash for quick and dirty stuff. Perl for more intricate things.
Change the Bash and friends to {c,tc,k,ba,z}sh and friends :)
For small scripts BASH/TCSH and for long scripts Python. You might think quite the opposite, but in long scripts i need readability and can compromise a little performance for it.
combination of bash & perl => barl :)
I like to mix them all up. Write the code using Bash n Friends + maybe call in some expect. then write a front end in PHP/HTML to collect the Parameters and its lets it publish it to any numpties who want to use it.
JavaScript and Perl =]
¿could be a choice bash+pl-sql? (aka basql) xD
seriously for small things (quick-and-dirty) bash, for web php , for other stuff c
i love bash scripting and python also i love those languages
I work a lowly tech support job now, so I rarely do any scripting. Last time I had an admin job I did all my scripting in Perl, because at the time I was most comfortable with it. I’d probably go back to using it if I had the chance. But I voted for bash, et al., simply because most of my limited shell scripting nowadays doesn’t require anything more.
i use bash (and friends) .. i voted bash and friends, i guess its much easy somehow and that friends added makes it almost complete.Why sh? Because it’s there on most systems. I think that is only reason I use it. Otherwise I’d be happy with Perl. Then I use Python or PHP to write an app or webapp. C++ or Java to develop software.
Some of these other languages are just too slow.
Any language that’s compilable is not a scripting language (C, C++, and to a certain extent, java). Scripting languages are interpreted and do not run natively on a system (i.e.: shells, perl, etc).
With that said, I use Korn for creating jobs and reports, perl for anything that involves regular expressions, or a combination of the two.
I use Bash script as it is very easy to use and very handy..
Groovy is my choice.
@ Vince
Perl/Python(Even, to an extend, tcl) are .compilable …;)
My adventures in compiling tcl are painful…
Python & Perl :)
vbscript YAY!
Bash for small scripts, Ruby for everything else.
No wonder Bash first, php second, sql third for me!
expect ?
http://expect.nist.gov/
Pb =PHP,Perl,Python,bash :D they are the best :P
sorry
of course bash and his friend :S
As an admin I used to use bash for every small and big things in our organization where i am working, but since the last 2 months thta i am learning python, I am enjoying it and i have started using python for every small and big scripts required for monitoring and admin part. So my vote goes to Python.
For most things, POSIX shell.
For more complicated programs, bash.
TCL of course!!!
I prefer for some short and easy things bash, but mostly i write php command tools, i know that php is not really fast but for the most things the speed is enough for me, and couse i’m programming php for the last 7 years, i can write my things very fast :P
so ranking
1. php/bash and nothing else :P only if i need something else really.
I am learning Python ..
bash, php, javascript