Korn Shell: Unix and Linux Programming Manual, Third Edition, The By Anatole Olczak
Table of Contents
Major Features
Where to Get the Korn Shell
Which Version Do You Have?
Logging In
Invoking the Korn Shell Separately
Using the Korn Shell in Scripts
The Korn shell is an interactive command and programming language that provides an interface to the Unix and other systems. As an interactive command language, it is responsible for reading and executing the commands that you enter. For example, when you type in the date command to check the system date, your login shell is responsible for interpreting the command before it is executed. It also provides the ability to customize your working environment. You can set up your own commands, specify environment variables for other programs, change your command prompt, and a lot more. As a programming language, its special commands allow you to write sophisticated programs. These programs are called scripts in Unix shell speak and are just text files that contain programs written in the Korn shell programming language. You can use any Unix editor, such as vi or emacs to create scripts.