The UNIX shell

This tutorial introduces you to the UNIX shell and both basic navigation and advanced uses such as statements and iterations.

Learning outcomes

  • Interpret and implement absolute and relative paths in a UNIX hierarchy
  • Recognise the various UNIX commands for navigation, creation, manipulation and viewing folders and files in UNIX
  • Implement redirection and tab completion tasks
  • Execute selection and interation commands in UNIX
  • Recognise grep, sed and pipe command structures
  • Appreciate the modification of the UNIX shell through profiles and aliases
  • Install conda in a UNIX environment and create environments for installing packages

Prerequisites

Approximate time to finish tutorial

  • UNIX basics worksheet: 3 hours (including installation and set up)
  • Conda worksheet: 30 minutes
  • UNIX advanced worksheet: 2 hours
  • Pre/post surveys: 10 minutes

Order of tutorial

Please do the pre-learning quiz, then do the worksheets.
Once finished the tutorial, take the post-learing quiz.

The UNIX Shell Pre-tutorial Survey

Tutorials

UNIX shell tutorial (navigation, creation and viewing)

  • A basic undertsanding of UNIX is needed if you wish to do the UNIX-based tasks in the rest of the workshop. I recommend to focus on understanding the contents of this tutorial first.

    Conda installation and use

  • Conda is very useful for installing programmes used in the UNIX-based tasks in the rest of the workshop. I recommend following this tutorial before doing the others.

    Advanced UNIX tutorial

  • The contents of this tutorial outline more advanced UNIX shell tasks (i.e. shell programming). A strong understanding of the contents of the first two tutorials is recommended before attempting this tutorial
    • Note that understanding this tutorials contents is niot necessary to follow the rest of the workshop, but is recommended if you wish to use UNIX extensively in the future.

The UNIX Shell Post-tutorial Survey