Manual Pages

Here is documentation for many of the commands mentioned on LinuxCommand.org, as well as others. These include:

• Bash Builtins - commands built into the shell itself
• The GNU Coreutils - the essential utilities included with most Linux distributions. These are divided into three groups:
  • File Utilities
  • Text Utilities
  • Shell Utilities
• Other Commands - other commonly-used Linux utilities

Shell Scripts

• new_script

  A bash shell script template generator. Use this script to help write your own shell scripts. Generated templates include useful shell functions, error and signal handling, and command-line option and argument parsing.

• my_cloud

  Implements a primitive cloud storage system using any available remote host running an SSH server.

• photo2mail

  Re-sizes large image files (photos) for use as attachments to email messages, blog postings, etc.

• program_list

  Creates an annotated list of programs in a directory. Useful for exploring your system.

Popular Series From The Blog

• Building An All-text Linux Workstation

  A 14-part series describing the creation of a general purpose workstation that uses only text-based programs.

• Getting Ready For Ubuntu 10.04

  This series goes through the process of upgrading a Linux system from one version of Linux to another by doing a fresh install. Covers backup and installation techniques.

• New Features In Bash 4.x

  Covers features added to the fourth major release of bash.

Other Sites You Might Enjoy

Bash And Scripting

• The Bash Reference Manual

  Perhaps in response to the usability issues found in the bash man page, the GNU Project produced the Bash Reference Manual. You can think of it as the bash man page translated into human readable form. While it lacks a tutorial focus and contains no usage examples, it is much easier to read and is more usefully organized than the bash man page.

• Greg's Wiki

  The bash man page and the Bash Reference Manual both extensively document the features found in bash. However, when we want a description of bash behavior, different resources are needed. The best by far is Greg's Wiki. This site covers a variety of topics, but of particular interest to us are the Bash FAQ which contains over one hundred frequently asked questions about bash, the Bash Pitfalls which describes many of the common problems script writers encounter with bash, and the Bash Guide, a useful set of tutorials for bash users. There are also several fun to read rants.

• Bash Hacker's Wiki

  Like Greg's Wiki, the Bash Hackers Wiki provides many different articles relating to bash, its features, and its behavior. Included are some useful tutorials on various programming techniques and issues with scripting with bash. While the writing is, at times, a little chaotic, it does contain useful information.

• Chet Ramey's Bash Page

  Chet Ramey is the current maintainer of bash and he has his own page. On it, you can find version information, latest news, and other things. The most useful document on the Bash Page is its version of the Bash FAQ. The NEWS file contains a concise list of features that have been added to each version of bash.

• Advanced Bash Scripting HOWTO

  The Advanced Bash Scripting HOWTO is a detailed look at bash shell programming. A thoughtful treatment with lots of examples and exercises. A good companion piece for the LinuxCommand.org tutorials.

• The Bash Prompt HOWTO

  The Bash Prompt HOWTO is a surprisingly interesting discussion of all the things you can make the prompt do.

• Linux From Scratch

  The Linux From Scratch tutorial will step you through the process of building a complete Linux system from source code.

Linux Standards

• The Linux Filesystem Hierarchy Standard

  The Linux Filesystem Hierarchy Standard describes the standard layout of a Linux system. A good site to visit if you want to learn how and why Linux is organized the way it is.

• Linux Standard Base

  Linux Standard Base is a project devoted to developing a standard for Linux distributions.

Fighting For Your Freedom

• Free Software Foundation

  The Free Software Foundation (FSF) is dedicated to promoting computer users' right to use, study, copy, modify, and redistribute computer programs.

• Electronic Frontier Foundation

  EFF is working to protect our fundamental rights regardless of technology, to educate the press, policymakers and the general public about civil liberties issues related to technology, and to act as a defender of those liberties.

• Software Freedom Law Center

  SFLC provides legal representation and other law-related services to protect and advance Free and Open Source Software. Founded in 2005, the Center now represents many of the most important and well-established free software and open source projects.