简体中文
EnglishWhat Is The Shell Scripting Tutorial at shellscript.sh?
Updated
The Shell Scripting Tutorial at shellscript.sh is a free online tutorial for learning Bourne-compatible shell scripting on Unix and Linux. It teaches fundamentals by example alongside theory, includes exercises and a quick reference, and is written for people who already have some prior experience. The site also sells a PDF version of the tutorial for $7.
What the tutorial covers
The tutorial focuses on Bourne-compatible shell scripting, which gives you a baseline that works across many Unix and Linux environments. Its stated purpose is to help readers understand shell script programming and to introduce the possibilities of simple but powerful programming available under the Bourne shell. It is written as a basis for one-on-one or group tutorials and exercises, and as a reference for later use.
The navigation shows the scope of the material:
- A First Script
- Variables (in three parts)
- Wildcards and Escape Characters
- Loops, Test, and Case
- External Programs and Functions
- Hints and Tips, a Quick Reference, and an Interactive Shell
- Exercises, plus a Tips and Examples section
The Shell Scripting Examples section goes beyond the standard Bourne shell to show additional functionality that Bash provides.
Who it is for
The tutorial assumes some prior experience. It is not a first introduction to the command line; it is aimed at readers who want to learn scripting on top of existing Unix or Linux familiarity. The author describes it as suitable for individual or group study and as a reference you can return to.
Who wrote it and how current it is
The tutorial is written by Steve Parker, MSc, described on the site as a Senior DevOps Engineer with 30+ years of Unix, Linux, and automation experience, and author of Shell Scripting: Expert Recipes for Linux, Bash and more. The site states it was first published on 4 July 2000, with the current version listed as v4.6 and a last-updated date of 29 June 2026.
The site notes that the latest version is always available at https://www.shellscript.sh, and that you can check the version information at the top-right of the page to confirm you are reading the authoritative, up-to-date copy.
Free online vs. paid PDF
| Online tutorial | PDF version | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Free to read on the site | $7 |
| Access | Web pages at shellscript.sh | Downloadable document |
| Updates | Site states the latest version is always online | Fixed to the version you buy |
The site lists Gumroad as a payment platform for the PDF. The online version is the one the site identifies as always current, so if you want the most recent content, read it on the site; buy the PDF if you want an offline copy to keep.
How to decide whether to use it
Use shellscript.sh if you already know your way around a Unix or Linux command line and want a structured, example-driven path through Bourne-compatible scripting, with exercises and a reference you can revisit. It suits self-study or running a small tutorial group.
Look elsewhere first if you need a complete beginner's introduction to the shell itself, or if you specifically want deep Bash-only features from the start — the core tutorial deliberately stays within Bourne-compatible scripting, with Bash extras confined to the examples section.