Intro To Shell Scripts & Cron

Unix or Linux system administrators who don't know how to write shell scripts are at a significant disadvantage. Shell scripts are used throughout the system and admins need to be able to interpret them to understand how their systems work. Admins who know shell scripting can quickly add functionality to their systems. With scripting, admins do not need the knowledge and tools that more traditional and demanding programming languages require.

Experienced admins strive to automate as many system maintenance chores as possible. This frequently involves scheduling shell scripts to run automatically at designated times. The Unix and Linux Cron facility is used for this.

This course gets you up to speed on writing shell scripts and automating system tasks using the Cron facility.

Prerequisites

You should have a basic understanding of Unix or Linux and can use a text editor. You do not need prior experience with shell scripting or the cron facility.