HomeCoursesThe Complete Guide to Bash Programming

4.6

Beginner

9h

The Complete Guide to Bash Programming

Gain insights into Bash programming to automate daily tasks. Explore computer operations, developer tools, basic concepts, and hands-on exercises for a solid programming foundation.

Join 2.7 million developers at

Overview

Content

Reviews

Learning to program computers by yourself is challenging, but we’ve got you! In this course, you’ll learn how to use Bash. Its features will help you solve your daily computer tasks—and even automate some of them! This course covers the general principles of computer operations, developer tools and their requirements, and basic programming concepts in detail. It will also help you consolidate your new knowledge through exercises for each topic. Moreover, the playground areas will give you hands-on practice for the exercises. Overall, this experience should be a great start to your programming journey.

Learning to program computers by yourself is challenging, but we’ve got you! In this course, you’ll learn how to use Bash. Its f...Show More

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

Learn about operating system from scratch

Learn basics of Bash

Learn how to use Bash commands in a shell

Explore the features of Bash scripts

Learn how to automate your daily tasks using bash scripts

Learn about operating system from scratch

Show more

TAKEAWAY SKILLS

Bash

OS Fundamentals

Computer Basics

Bash features

Bash scripts

Bash commands

Bash utilities

Logical expressions

Content

154 Lessons100 Quizzes1 Assessment

1.

Introduction

4 Lessons

Get familiar with Bash programming, its practical applications, and effective learning approaches.

Who Is This Course For?

Hurdles in Learning

An Insight on Existing Learning Material

Why This Course?

2.

Origins of the OS

5 Lessons

Look at the evolution of operating systems from early electromechanical computers to commercial use.

Operating Systems

Electromechanical Computer

Relay Computers

Electrical Computers

OS in Commercial Computers

3.

Operating Systems

12 Lessons

Examine the fundamental workings of operating systems, multitasking, APIs, and GUI evolution.

How the OS Works

Application Programming Interface

Computer Devices

Multiprogramming

GUI: An Overview

GUI: TTY and CLI

GUI: TUI and Xerox

4.

Application

7 Lessons

Apply your skills to manage programs, understand memory levels, and convert number systems.

Computer Program

Levels of Computer Memory

Exercise: Number Conversions

5.

Bash Shell

3 Lessons

Take a closer look at Bash's development tools, command interpreter modes, and command-line interface.

Development Tools

Command Interpreter

Command-line Interface

6.

File System

13 Lessons

Follow the process of navigating and managing the file system in Bash.

Directory Structures

File System Navigation Commands

The mount Utility

Command history

The find Utility

Using Glob Pattern with the find Utility

Advanced Usage of the find Utility

Logic Expressions

The grep Command

7.

Command Information

2 Lessons

Piece together the parts of how to access command information and utilize Bash documentation.

Man Page System and Command help

Info System and Brief Help

8.

Files and Directories

9 Lessons

Learn how to use file and directory commands, manage permissions, and execute applications in Bash.

Actions on Files and Directories

The mkdir Utility

The cp and mv Utilities

Exercise: Commands

File System Permissions

Unix Permissions

Installing and Running Applications in Bash

9.

Bash Extra Features

12 Lessons

Discover advanced Bash features such as GNU utilities, I/O redirection, pipelines, and logical operators.

Unix Design Philosophy

I/O Redirection

Advanced Pipeline Example

Limitations of the find Utility

The xargs Utility

Pipeline Pitfalls

Logical Operator AND

More on Operators

Combining Commands

Exercise: Bash Features

10.

Scripts Features

9 Lessons

Master the steps to automate complex tasks using Bash scripting, with a focus on backups.

Why Do We Need Scripts?

Backup Command Example

Verifying the Backup Command

Poor Technical Solution

Using Bash Script

Commands Sequence

Script Parameters

Script with Other Commands

11.

Variables and Parameters

16 Lessons

Grasp the fundamentals of Bash variables, classifications, declarations, scopes, and array manipulation.

What are Variables?

Classification of Variables

Declaration Mechanism: User-Defined Variables

Bash Expansions

Exercise: Writing a Bash Script

Declaration Mechanism: Internal Variables

Declaration Mechanism: Special Parameters

Scope: Environment Variables

Scope: Local Variables

Content Type: Variable Attributes

Declaring Variables with Attributes

Composite Type: Indexed Arrays

Using Indexed Arrays

Practice: Indexed Arrays

Composite Types: Associative Arrays

12.

Conditional Statements

13 Lessons

Deepen your knowledge of Bash conditional statements, including if, case, and the [[ operator.

If-else Statement

Exercise: If Statement

The [[ Operator

Advanced Features of the [[ Operator

Operator [[ and Integers

Exercise: Operator [[

Exercise: The [[ Operator and Directories

if and case Statements

Exercise: Case Statement

Alternative to the Case Statement

Exercise: Case Statement and Associative Array

13.

Arithmetic Expressions and Operations

8 Lessons

Tackle integer arithmetic, number representations, and Bash operations in programming tasks.

Integer Representation

Sign-magnitude Representation

One's Complement

Two's Complement

Converting Numbers

The (( Operator

Operations in the Arithmetic Expressions

Arithmetic Operations

14.

Bitwise Operations

8 Lessons

Master the steps to perform bitwise operations and explore practical applications in Bash.

Bitwise negation

Exercise: Bitwise NOT

Bitwise AND, OR and XOR

Exercise: Bitwise AND, OR, and XOR

Exercise: Bit shifts

Changing Byte Order Using Bitwise Operations

More on Using Bitwise Operations

15.

Logical Operations and Increments

3 Lessons

Step through logical operations, increments, and the ternary operator in Bash.

Logical Operations

Increment and Decrement

Ternary Operator

16.

Loop Operators

11 Lessons

Unpack the core of Bash loop constructs for efficient control flow and script management.

Loop Constructs

While Statement

Reading a Standard Input Stream

Script for Managing the Contacts

For Statement: The First Form of For

Files Processing

For Statement: The Second Form of For

Controlling the Loop Execution: break

Controlling Loop Execution: continue

Exercise: Loop Constructs

17.

Functions

10 Lessons

Master the steps to using functions, managing variable scope, and avoiding alias conflicts in Bash.

Programming Paradigms

Using Functions in Shell

Functions and Aliases

Difference Between Functions and Aliases

Using Functions in Scripts

Returning a Function Result

Exercise: Functions

Exercise: Variable Scope

General Recommendations on Functions

18.

Package Manager

2 Lessons

Enhance your skills in using Unix package managers to manage software installations and dependencies.

Operating on Packages

19.

Conclusion

1 Lessons

Take a look at advancing skills and exploring new Bash programming topics.

Bash Programming from Scratch

Assessment

20.

Bash Scripts Tools

4 Lessons

Tackle essential tools and methods for writing, editing, and managing Bash scripts efficiently.

Tools Needed for Bash

Source Code Editor

Launching the Editor

Background Mode

21.

APPENDIX

2 Lessons

Build on Bash execution across Windows and macOS for seamless scripting.

Bash on Windows

Certificate of Completion

Showcase your accomplishment by sharing your certificate of completion.

Course Author:

Developed by MAANG Engineers

Every Educative lesson is designed by our in-house team of ex-MAANG software engineers and PhD computer science educators, and developed in consultation with developers and data scientists working at Meta, Google, and more. Our mission is to get you hands-on with the necessary skills to stay ahead in a constantly changing industry. No video, no fluff. Just interactive, project-based learning with personalized feedback that adapts to your goals and experience.

Trusted by 2.7 million developers working at companies

"These are high-quality courses. Trust me. I own around 10 and the price is worth it for the content quality. EducativeInc came at the right time in my career. I'm understanding topics better than with any book or online video tutorial I've done. Truly made for developers. Thanks"

Anthony Walker

@_webarchitect_

"Just finished my first full #ML course: Machine learning for Software Engineers from Educative, Inc. ... Highly recommend!"

Evan Dunbar

ML Engineer

"You guys are the gold standard of crash-courses... Narrow enough that it doesn't need years of study or a full blown book to get the gist, but broad enough that an afternoon of Googling doesn't cut it."

Software Developer

Carlos Matias La Borde

"I spend my days and nights on Educative. It is indispensable. It is such a unique and reader-friendly site"

Souvik Kundu

Front-end Developer

"Your courses are simply awesome, the depth they go into and the breadth of coverage is so good that I don't have to refer to 10 different websites looking for interview topics and content."

Vinay Krishnaiah

Software Developer

Hands-on Learning Powered by AI

See how Educative uses AI to make your learning more immersive than ever before.

Personalized Interview Prep

Skip the LeetCode grind with a custom roadmap that adapts to your goals. Hands-on practice for Coding Interviews, System Design, and more.

Mock Interviews

Test your skills in a simulated interview setting. Receive personalized feedback based on your performance. Available for Coding Interviews, System Design, and more.

AI Prompt

Build prompt engineering skills. Practice implementing AI-informed solutions.

Code Feedback

Evaluate and debug your code with the click of a button. Get real-time feedback on test cases, including time and space complexity of your solutions.

Explain with AI

Select any text within any Educative course, and get an instant explanation — without ever leaving your browser.

AI Code Mentor

AI Code Mentor helps you quickly identify errors in your code, learn from your mistakes, and nudge you in the right direction — just like a 1:1 tutor!

Free Resources

FOR TEAMS

Interested in this course for your business or team?

Unlock this course (and 1,000+ more) for your entire org with DevPath

Learn in-demand tech skills in half the time

Copyright ©2025 Educative, Inc. All rights reserved.

soc2