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

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.