Skip one-click backup apps. This rsync script gives you full control over what gets saved and when, plus logs and a few hard-won lessons.

If you're not yet comfortable with writing scripts on Unix and Linux systems, this post might get you off to a healthy start. Creating a script on a Unix or Linux system can be dead easy or ...

Bash scripting is a powerful tool for automating tasks on Linux and Unix-like systems. While it's well-known for managing file and process operations, arithmetic operations, such as division, play a ...

The first software that I was actually paid to develop was a 2-page shell script that prompted the user for a dozen or so pieces of information, before launching a set of cooperating processes. Those ...

Many bash scripts use arguments to control the commands that they will run and the information that will be provided to the people running them. This post examines a number of ways that you can verify ...

Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I cover the exciting intersection of Linux and handheld gaming. My job – and sheer curiosity – compels me to distro hop a lot. You ...

It is easy to dismiss bash — the typical Linux shell program — as just a command prompt that allows scripting. Bash, however, is a full-blown programming language. I wouldn’t presume to tell you that ...

Many bash scripts start out as something quick and dirty but then become so useful that they live for years, indeed sometimes seeing more use than our traditional programs. Now that you can even run ...

The printf command offers well-defined behavior following the POSIX standard, which means it works the same way across shells and systems. Where echo often fails with escape sequences, printf handles ...

Linux offers more freedom than other operating systems, but you’ll need a bit of technical know-how to maximize its potential. If you’re interested in learning about the powerful and sleek operating ...