Who Is The Shell Scripting Tutorial Intended For?

Updated

The Shell Scripting Tutorial at shellscript.sh is written for readers who already have some prior experience and want to learn Bourne shell scripting by example, with theory alongside. It is not positioned as a complete-beginner introduction: the site's Audience section explicitly assumes some prior experience. It is also designed to work as the basis for one-on-one or group tutorials and exercises, and as a reference you can return to later.

Who gets the most from it

The tutorial fits you if you can already find your way around a Unix or Linux command line and want to move from typing commands to writing scripts. The stated purpose is to help people understand shell script programming and introduce the possibilities of simple but powerful programming available under the Bourne shell.

It is a weaker fit if you have never used a shell. Because the material assumes prior experience, a reader starting from zero will likely need a separate introduction to basic commands and file navigation first.

What it covers, and in what scope

The tutorial deliberately restricts itself to Bourne-compatible shell scripting. That gives you a baseline that works across many Unix and Linux environments rather than tying you to one shell's extras. The site notes that Bash extends the original Bourne shell with many additional features while keeping compatibility with the core concepts, and that a separate Shell Scripting Examples section shows Bash functionality beyond the standard Bourne shell.

The topic sequence on the site runs from a first script through variables (in three parts), wildcards, escape characters, loops, test, case, external programs, functions, hints and tips, a quick reference, the interactive shell, exercises, and tips and examples.

Your situation Is it a fit?
Comfortable with basic Unix/Linux commands, new to scripting Yes — this is the core audience
Running a study group or one-on-one teaching Yes — written as a basis for tutorials and exercises
Need a lookup reference while writing scripts Yes — intended as a reference for subsequent use
Never used a shell before Not yet — prior experience is assumed
Want deep Bash-specific features Partly — core material is Bourne-compatible; see the examples section for Bash extras

Practical details before you start

  • Author and provenance: written by Steve Parker, 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.
  • Version and updates: first published 4 July 2000; the page lists v4.6 as the current version, last updated and reviewed 29 June 2026. The site states the latest version is always at https://www.shellscript.sh and that you can check version information at the top-right of the page.
  • Formats: the tutorial is readable on the site, and the page offers it as a PDF for $7. Payment is handled via Gumroad. No free-access claim is made for the PDF; the site itself is the version the author points to as authoritative.

How to decide

If you already know your way around a terminal and want a structured path from first script to functions and case statements, start at "A First Script" and work through in order, using the exercises to test yourself. If you are teaching, the same sequence works as a lesson plan. If you are completely new to the command line, build that foundation first, then come back — the tutorial will make far more sense once the basics are in place.