Bash Shell Scripting Basics Practice Exam

Bash Shell Scripting Basics Practice Exam

About Bash Shell Scripting Basics Exam

Bash shell scripting is a way to automate tasks and interact with Unix/Linux systems using command-line scripts. With Bash scripting, users can write programs that execute commands, make logical decisions, and process data efficiently. By using variables, loops, and functions, scripts can simplify complex operations, manage system configurations, and enhance automation. This course covers everything from basic script writing to advanced automation techniques, helping learners develop practical skills in Linux system administration, DevOps, and software development.

Skills Required

• Basic knowledge of Linux or Unix commands (such as navigating directories and running basic commands).
• Understanding of command-line usage on Unix-like systems (Linux, macOS, Unix).
• No prior Bash scripting experience is needed—this course starts from the basics.
• Access to a Unix-based operating system to practice the exercises (Linux, macOS, or WSL on Windows).

Knowledge Area

By completing this course, learners will gain expertise in:

• Bash shell scripting fundamentals – Writing and running scripts.
• Data processing with filters – Using grep, awk, and sed.
• Conditional statements and loops – Automating decision-making tasks.
• Interacting with remote servers – Using SSH, SCP, and automation techniques.
• REST API integration – Using the curl command for API interactions.
• Regular expressions – Searching and manipulating text efficiently.
• Task scheduling and job automation – Using cron and at commands.
• Debugging and troubleshooting scripts – Finding and fixing errors in Bash scripts.

Who should take This Course?

This course is designed for:

• System administrators who manage Unix/Linux environments.
• Automation engineers who work with DevOps and cloud technologies.
• Software developers looking to automate tasks using Bash scripting.
• Database administrators who manage and configure database servers.
• AWS and cloud administrators who automate cloud infrastructure.
• IT professionals who want to improve efficiency through scripting.

This course is beginner-friendly, so no prior experience with Bash scripting is required. However, a basic understanding of Linux commands will help learners progress more quickly.

Course Outline

The Bash Shell Scripting Basics Exam covers the following topics - 

Domain 1. Introduction to Bash Scripting

• Overview of the course and what will be covered.
• Prerequisites needed to get started.
• Who should take this course?

Domain 2. Setting Up the Bash Scripting Environment

• Installing a Linux distribution or CentOS on Windows using WSL.
• Enabling systemctl in WSL CentOS for service management.
• Configuring Gmail setup in CentOS for email notifications.
• Accessing Windows files from WSL and vice versa.
• Steps to write and execute a simple Bash script.
• Different methods to run shell scripts.
• Using the CentOS terminal in Visual Studio Code.
• Fixing chmod command issues on WSL Linux.
• Automating installations (Docker, Ansible, Java, nginx, httpd) with a Bash script.

Domain 3. Understanding Bash Shell Basics

• Running shell scripts and understanding their execution process.
• Using semicolons ; to write multiple commands in one line.

Domain 4. Working with Variables in Bash

• Introduction to variables and their types.
• Default variable values and clearing variable values.
• Rules for defining variables in Bash scripting.
• Understanding syntax in shell scripting.

Domain 5. Handling Inputs and Outputs

• Using echo command for displaying output.
• Practicing with echo and variables.
• Linking Windows paths to WSL home directories.
• Using read to take user input.
• Using source and export to handle variables.
• Using command-line arguments with shift for dynamic input.

Domain 6. String Operations in Bash

• Basic string operations.
• Working with file paths in string manipulation.

Domain 7. Understanding and Using Arrays

• Basics of arrays and how to use them in Bash.
• Accessing array elements and performing operations.
• Why arrays are important in scripting.
• Ways to input values into arrays.

Domain 8. Using Dictionaries (Associative Arrays) in Bash

• Introduction to associative arrays in Bash scripting.

Domain 9. Essential Unix/Linux Commands for Scripting

• Checking command exit statuses.
• Understanding redirection operators (STDIN, STDOUT, STDERR).
• Executing commands using variables.
• Using cut for extracting specific text from files.
• Extracting specific fields and lines using awk.
• Searching text using grep and working with variables in grep.
• Introduction to sed for text manipulation.
• Using sed to replace, insert, and delete lines.
• Practical use of tr and kill -9 command.
• Performing arithmetic operations on integers and floating-point numbers.

Domain 10. Combining Commands Using Operators

• Understanding different command-chaining operators.
• Using pipes (|) to send output between commands.
• Using semicolons (;) to run multiple commands in sequence.
• Logical AND (&&) and OR (||) operators.
• Finding installed package locations using shell scripts.
• Running code blocks efficiently.

Domain 11. Using Conditional Statements in Bash

• Using test command for condition checking.
• Using exit command in scripts.
• Writing conditional logic with if, if-else, and elif statements.
• Debugging shell scripts for errors.

Domain 12. Hands-on Scripting Practice

• Writing scripts to read and display file content.
• Automating package installations using yum.

Domain 13. Advanced Conditional Statements

• Understanding if, elif, and elif else statements.
• Using case statements for multiple conditions.
• Writing scripts to check software versions and send automated emails.

Domain 15. Automating Tasks with Scheduled Jobs

• Running scheduled tasks using at.
• Automating recurring tasks with crontab.

Domain 16. Adding Comments and Logging in Scripts

• Writing comments for better script readability.
• Logging events for debugging and monitoring.

Domain 17. Creating and Using Functions in Bash

• Writing reusable functions in shell scripts.
• Passing arguments and handling text inputs in functions.
• Using functions to install software packages.
• Understanding variable scope in functions.
• Reusing functions across multiple scripts.

Domain 18. Using Here Documents and Here Strings

• Understanding heredoc and herestring usage in Bash.

Domain 19. Implementing Loops in Bash

• Introduction to loops (for, while, until, select).
• Looping through arrays using for loops.
• Handling file deletions with automated email alerts.
• Breaking and continuing loops when needed.
• Using getopts to read arguments in while loops.

Domain 20. Working with REST APIs in Bash

• Using curl to interact with REST APIs.
• Validating API responses.

Domain 21. Automating Remote Server Tasks

• Running commands on remote servers using SSH.
• Using sshpass for password authentication.
• Secure file transfers using scp.
• Automating password entry for SSH connections using expect.

Domain 22. Real-World Bash Scripting Projects

• Monitoring services and sending alerts via email.
• Writing scripts to monitor application health.
• Checking application logs and sending alerts.
• Automating Git version installations on remote servers.

Domain 23. Using Regular Expressions in Bash

• Understanding regex for pattern matching.
• Creating and using extended regular expressions.
• Using case statements with regex.

Domain 24. Mastering the printf Command

• Formatting text output using printf.