Shell Games

From: Jeff Lewis (jlewis1957_at_netscape.net)
Date: 12/30/04

  • Next message: Mike Jeays: "Re: Shell Games" 
    Date: Thu, 30 Dec 2004 13:00:08 -0500
To: freebsd-newbies@freebsd.org

     * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
     * *
     * Sue & Greg: Please don't hesitate to suggest that I take these *
     * comments to a more appropriate list. I do not want *
     * them to just be allowed as in times past. *
     * *
     * I believe that all of these postings are within *
     * the list's charter. Perhaps they will be a good *
     * example. If not, then perhaps I will concur with *
     * you both that the list should be disbanded. But *
     * I figure that I have roughly 30 days to push the *
     * envelope. Be purists so that newbies understand. *
     * *
     * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

    FIRST
    -----
    I chose FreeBSD to house my company's new external web server primarily
    because of it's stability. I've only played with linux, but enough to
    feel like I was on a real whirlwind of updates all the time. I figured
    that if FreeBSD was stable enough for Yahoo, Google and Pair (my ISP)
    to base THEIR business on, then it should be stable enough for this
    little business as well.

    SECOND
    ------
    I have time. I have 3-6 months to get this box up, stable and secure.
    Security is this huge black hole for me. I don't even know enough to
    know how much I don't know. I am chomping at the bit to learn.

    THIRD
    -----
    I primarily come from an MSDOS 3.0 - 6.22 world. I beta tested Win95.
    I barely used Win98, preferring WinNT. But I've used a multitude of
    computers throughout my career, including TRS-DOS, Concurrent CPM,
    PR1MOS, and tons of embedded stuff. I spent roughly 25 years in an
    electronics manufacturing environment. I got into IT as a Netware 3
    and 4 administrator. Took a job at a fast growing company in the
    center of a major US city and helped them setup WinNT servers, as
    well as create a WAN throughout the US. The corporate mandate there
    was Microsoft. No FOSS whatsover, period.

    Today, I am an administrator for a small Microsoft based Win2k3/WinXP
    network, in a small company, located only 2 miles from my home. I am 47,
    eat lunch at home everyday and see my wife and teenagers every night.

    But I choose what we run here. We were bound to an app that mandated
    Microsoft SQL Server. We had no such mandate for the new web server.

    AND FINALLY!
    ------------
    I have played with Unix, or worked in a very small way on production
    SunOS computers off and on for years. I never understood the whole
    concept of multiple shells and/or scripting languages. I've read about
    them, but there MUST be some teflon in the cranium somewhere.

    I understand this next question could invoke what I've termed digital
    zealotry, but as a FreeBSD newbie, I gotta know.

    Why are there so many different shells? Does each shell interface
    directly with the kernel independantly? AND (here it comes) which is
    the [right one/best one] to use?

    I guess I am TOO comfortable with the command.com/batch file world
    and that I need to open my mind a little. I've always felt that CMD/Batch
    was more of a limiting factor than a plus, but I could alway use KIX
    or Novell's login scripts to get network scripting done. For everything
    else, there was perl. I never had to chang a shell, replaced command.com.
    Just used a different scripting language. Perl has existed a lot longer
    in the unix world than the MS world. Why not script everything in that?

    So why CSHELL as a shell AND a scripting language, BASH as a shell AND
    a scripting language? SHELL, CSHELL and BASH all on the same machine?
    Do they have specific purposes? Should I log in as root using one type
    of shell but log in as my user account using another type of shell?

    I guess that I am leaning towards BASH for everything. I have an
    O'Reilly book for BASH. But if I do so, am I missing some rich feature
    set somewhere else?

    Is there a good rule of thumb for when I should not use a BASH script
    and go to a PERL script?

    URLs gladly accepted for places to learn more.

    Jeff

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  • Next message: Mike Jeays: "Re: Shell Games"

    Relevant Pages

    • Re: Shell Games
      ... Scripting languages like PERL and Bash serve diffrent ... a great book is UNIX Shell ... > Just used a different scripting language. ...
      (freebsd-newbies)
    • Re: Shell Games
      ... We had no such mandate for the new web server. ... >My personal preference is Bash. ... >>or Novell's login scripts to get network scripting done. ... I never had to chang a shell, ...
      (freebsd-newbies)
    • Re: [ Attn: Randy ] Ad-hoc Parsing?
      ... I think you're getting confused by the fact that the Bourne shell (sh, ... If your scripting language is incapable of dropping arbitrary data ... that this also is possible with bash scripts. ... That includes executables of all types. ...
      (alt.lang.asm)
    • Re: Shell Games
      ... We had no such mandate for the new web server. ... There isn't a 'best' shell - this is the stuff of flamewars. ... My personal preference is Bash. ... > or Novell's login scripts to get network scripting done. ...
      (freebsd-newbies)
    • Re: FAST, but full feature ksh.
      ... > built ksh vs a statically built bash, I found that the ksh was about ... > sluggish bash to the POSSIBLY quicker ksh... ... > molasses, try playing with shell scripting on cygwin, but I don't ...
      (comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc)