Shell Scripting with Bash by Ken O Burtch 2004

This book, widely available in libraries, bookstores (such as WHSmith) and online shopping sites (such as amazon.com) provides users with a guide to professional and more advanced scripting solutions. It is available for purchase with prices starting from £13.00 new and £10.00 used.

Its author, Ken Burtch, is a dedicated Linux user, having been using it since version 0.97. He is even the founder of Pegasoft Canada – this is an association which promotes the development, education and promotion of Linux. It is easy to say, without hesitation, that Burtch seems like a reliable source to learn Linux Bash scripting, therefore the background of this book looks extremely promising without having read a word.

The book focuses on Shell Scripting for Linux; and it uses real-world situations and scripts in order to educate its readers. This use of examples is a significant advantage of the book, this is because some learners find it hard to apply any new information learnt without being offered an example where this information can be applied to. A drawback of this book is that in order to get the full use out of the text, it is vital that the reader has some basic previous knowledge of Linux and maybe of Bash scripting. Even though the book covers some of the basics, it isn’t a total beginner’s guide to bash and therefore would see some users quickly becoming confused at the depth of scripts covered.

Another drawback of this book is the vast amount of text and limited diagrams and pictures annotating the main points which are covered during the book. It is important for a book which teaches such a comprehensive scripting language such as Bash to accommodate for all learner types, and this means the visual learners (who understand better when given pictures and diagrams than when given text) will suffer due to the overwhelming ratio in favour of text to diagrams.

The language used is coherent, clear and easy to understand, and the font is neither too big nor too small. However, there were several spelling mistakes throughout the book – not something you expect from a published and processional source.

Overall, this book is idea for those who already have some previous knowledge and are wishing to consolidate and also further their Bash scripting skills. However it must be stressed that the users should be prepared to read some sections which are unnecessary to Bash scripting itself, but relevant to those wanting to learn additional scripting languages. All in all, this book is widely available and priced reasonably. A worthy addition to the book shelves of Bash lovers.

Image from [www.amazon.com]

Summary

Pros

Covers more advanced bash scripting solutions
Clear language used.
Use of real world examples to illustrate points
Author is of a trustworthy origin

Cons

Too much text

Lack of pictures

Lack of bash scripting kowlege
Not all the information is relevent to the subject

Other reviewers rating:
An e-commerce site (Amazon.com) which sells Shell Scripting with Bash allows users who have bought the book to give their own review of it. Overall, Amazon users gave the book three out of five stars.

Our rating:
Despite the faults with this book, it is a worthy item to have, either as reference or as a learning resource, for anyone wishing to learn Bash Scripting and consolidate any existing knowledge.

4/5