From: Quico Jurado <quico.jurado@gmail.com>
To: gentoo-user@lists.gentoo.org
Subject: Re: [gentoo-user] Books about making shell scripts and other nifty commands.
Date: Tue, 10 Jun 2025 20:18:14 +0200 [thread overview]
Message-ID: <CANECUxpghiwD8Tj30Zqqi8Psh_fVy93LCE5n1mBMA0bdNqN_Bg@mail.gmail.com> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <9dfe9688-942b-bb7e-9b7c-e1371747ab55@gmail.com>
Hello Dale,
The guide is also available in PDF format
(https://tldp.org/LDP/abs/abs-guide.pdf), this makes it possible to
print the chapters that you find relevant for your purpose.
Cheers,
On Tue, Jun 10, 2025 at 8:08 PM Dale <rdalek1967@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Mark Knecht wrote:
> > On Tue, Jun 10, 2025 at 2:42 AM Dale <rdalek1967@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> Dale wrote:
> >>> Howdy,
> >>>
> >>> <<< SNIP >>>
> >>> So, I'm looking for a book, paperback would be nice but hardback is fine
> >>> too. I found this. I may look for a used version elsewhere too.
> >>> Reading what is described, this sounds like a good place to start.
> >>>
> >>> https://www.amazon.com/Super-Easy-Linux-Bash-Scripting/dp/B0F7GF439K
> >>>
> >>> <<< SNIP >>>
> >>>
> >>> Any thoughts on one I linked too? Will that be OK for me to start out
> >>> with given my VERY basic skills? Know of something better? When I was
> >>> a kid, I was pretty good with BASIC on the old Commodore VIC-20 and 64.
> >>> That was a LONG time ago tho.
> >>>
> >>> Thanks.
> >>>
> >>> Dale
> >>>
> >>> :-) :-)
> >>>
> >>
> >> I got the book in. It's a good book for someone who is new to Linux.
> >> Maybe coming from Windows or something where commands are different. It
> >> talks about a lot about common commands and such and does touch on
> >> scripts a bit. Thing is, it isn't what I'm looking for. I'm looking
> >> for how scripts work and how and why they are formatted and such. I
> >> have questions like what does the "{" and "}" do? How do I get it to
> >> check something and if one result matches it does A but if it is some
> >> other result it does B? Example.
> >>
> >> I'm wanting to write a script that opens a encrypted drive and mounts
> >> the drive. When I run the script, I first want it to check and see if
> >> it is still locked or not. If it is still locked, ask for the
> >> passphrase and unlock. If it is unlocked, then move to the next part
> >> for mounting. If it is already mounted, then nothing is needed. If it
> >> is not, mount the drive. I'd also like it to print out what it is doing
> >> or not doing as well. Back in the old basic days, we had "goto" and
> >> such. I don't see that in bash type scripts. Figure there is a way
> >> tho. ;-)
> >>
> >> My question is this. Do some of you have scripts that are fairly simple
> >> to figure out that does something similar to this that you can share?
> >> I'm wanting to check some scripts that are known to work and figure out
> >> how they work. I tried to look at Frank's checksum script but that
> >> thing is HUGE. I was lost before I even needed to scroll down. Some
> >> fairly small and simple scripts may give me enough to figure out how to
> >> do what I want to do and understand it as well. If someone has a script
> >> that is more like a example script, where the words used explain what
> >> the script is doing and why it is laid out a certain way, that would be
> >> really nice.
> >>
> >> The book is nice. It's just not what I'm looking for. I may try to
> >> find something cheap on Ebay.
> >>
> >> Thanks.
> >>
> >> Dale
> >>
> >> :-) :-)
> >>
> > <hehe> Don't listen to me....
> >
> >
> > In bash scripting, what purpose do { and } serve?
> >
> > In Bash scripting, { and } have several purposes depending on the context:
> >
> > Command Grouping:
> >
> > Used to group multiple commands into a single unit. This is useful for
> > executing a set of commands in a specific context, such as within an
> > if statement or redirecting output.
> >
> > Example:
> >
> > bash
> >
> > { echo "Hello"; echo "World"; } > output.txt
> >
> > This redirects both echo commands' output to output.txt.
> >
> > Brace Expansion:
> >
> > Allows generating multiple strings based on a pattern, often used for
> > file and directory creation.
> >
> > Example:
> >
> > bash
> >
> > echo {A,B,C}
> >
> > Outputs: A B C
> >
> > Array Definition (in newer versions of Bash):
> >
> > Used to define an array or reference elements within an array.
> >
> > Example:
> >
> > bash
> >
> > my_array=(one two three)
> > echo ${my_array[1]} # Outputs "two"
> >
> > Function Definitions:
> >
> > Used when defining a function in Bash.
> >
> > Example:
> >
> > bash
> >
> > my_function() {
> > echo "Hello from the function!"
> > }
> > my_function
> >
> > Would you like to see how {} interacts with networking-related tasks?
> > Maybe for automation with server configurations or scripting remote
> > access methods?
> >
> >
>
>
> No wonder I was confused. What they do depends on where or how they are
> used. So, it's like when a word has more than one very different
> meaning. That explains why I couldn't figure out what they did. I been
> reading the links posted by Quico. I got a feeling learning even just
> enough to make a script that does what I want for encrypted drives is
> going to be harder than I think.
>
> One reason I'm wanting books, I can lay in bed and read. Sometimes I
> wish I had a little laptop or something I could use to read web pages or
> monitor things with, from the bed. Sometimes my health says I'm going
> to be horizontal not vertical. It is pretty good at insisting. o_0 I
> did order some more books, little cheaper tho. Maybe those will help.
>
>
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1913842045
>
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1499546653
>
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1913597091
>
>
> I got to read up on arrays and what they are. I think the meaning I
> have in my head is different when it comes to computer programming.
> Right now, I'm replacing the axle seal on a Kubota L2500 tractor. It
> doesn't just leak, it pours. I might add, it is 88F here with a
> humidity of about 120% or so. I'm in the shade and I still have to come
> in and dry out a bit.
>
> Dale
>
> :-) :-)
>
prev parent reply other threads:[~2025-06-10 18:19 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 24+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2025-06-05 3:49 [gentoo-user] Books about making shell scripts and other nifty commands Dale
2025-06-05 15:32 ` Mark Knecht
2025-06-05 16:02 ` Eli Schwartz
2025-06-05 16:16 ` Mark Knecht
2025-06-05 17:19 ` Eli Schwartz
2025-06-06 14:14 ` [gentoo-user] " Nuno Silva
2025-06-05 16:59 ` [gentoo-user] " Dale
2025-06-05 17:44 ` eric
2025-06-05 19:50 ` Re[2]: " Stefan Schmiedl
2025-06-06 2:58 ` Dale
2025-06-05 17:03 ` Jay Faulkner
2025-06-05 17:56 ` yahoo
2025-06-05 18:48 ` Arve Barsnes
2025-06-05 19:05 ` Eli Schwartz
2025-06-08 0:09 ` [gentoo-user] " Nuno Silva
2025-06-05 18:33 ` [gentoo-user] " yahoo
2025-06-10 9:39 ` Dale
2025-06-10 10:33 ` Quico Jurado
2025-06-10 14:33 ` Mark Knecht
2025-06-10 15:01 ` Eli Schwartz
2025-06-10 16:24 ` yahoo
2025-06-10 18:12 ` Dale
2025-06-10 18:07 ` Dale
2025-06-10 18:18 ` Quico Jurado [this message]
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