Linux & Shell Programming

Unit 1: Introduction to Linux

• Overview of Linux and its distributions
• Logging in and out of the system
• Changing user password using passwd
• Introduction to help commands: man, xman
• Basic terminal usage

Unit 2: File System & Permissions

• Directory navigation: pwd, cd, ls, etc.
• File and folder operations: mkdir, cp, mv, rm
• File types and path management
• Understanding file permissions: r, w, x
• Modifying permissions using chmod, chown, umask

Unit 3: Text Editing with Vi Editor

• Vi editor modes: command, insert, visual
• File creation, editing, saving and exiting
• Insertion, deletion, search and replace
• Advanced features: line numbers, macros, navigation commands

Unit 4: File I/O and Advanced Editing

• Reading and writing files
• File redirection: >, >>, <, |
• Using .exrc file for editor customization
• Automating edits with scripting commands
• Advanced file handling techniques

Unit 5: Introduction to X-Window System

• Overview of the X-Windows graphical environment
• X as a Client-Server model
• Components: display server, window manager
• Using graphical tools like xclock, xcalc

Unit 6: Shell & Command Line

• What is a Shell? Importance in Linux
• Types of shells: Bash, Csh, Ksh, etc.
• Shell environment and startup files (.bashrc, .profile)
• Using the command line effectively
• Introduction to piping and redirection

Unit 7: Shell Scripting (Bash)

• Basics of writing and executing shell scripts
• Declaring variables and taking user input
• Conditional statements: if, else, elif
• Loops: for, while, until
• Command grouping and background execution

Unit 8: Advanced Shell Programming

• Functions in shell scripts
• Control structures: case, select
• The Here Document (<<)
• Handling NULL and unset variables
• Script debugging and best practices

Unit 9: System Tools & Source Control

• Command history, aliases, and job control
• Filename substitution and pattern matching
• Introduction to awk, sed utilities
• Basics of version control using RCS and CVS
• Source code management utilities

Final Project & Evaluation

• Weekly practice tasks and mini assignments
• End-of-course project using shell scripting
• Internal test / lab assessment
• Course completion certificate