*nix shell types

A *nix newbie question.

I was wondering what are the differences between *nix shell types, csh, bash, zsh, ksh Etc. Do different types offer different security features? Do they contain different *nix programs that can be run only when using that particular shell? What are the major advantages / disadvantages to running different shell types or is it more of a user preference?

A good *nix newbie shell tutorial would be really helpful.

Thanks in advance

Here is a good link to learn about a couple different shells:

http://www.mcsr.olemiss.edu/unixhelp/shell/oview2.html

Hope it helps!

-rasem

Mostly, the shells vary among capabilities, system overhead, feature sets, syntax...one of the easiest things to do to find the nitty gritty details of a shell, is to do a man on it (assuming the system has the shell, and these days most of them have at least the basic shells (sh, csh, ksh, bash, etc)...man is your friend.

Neb

So a *nix shell is way in which you can skin the linux environment ? Tailoring it to your individual needs.

BTW can you recommend a shell that a *nix newbie like myself may find it good to start with.

bash, personally i think is a good shell to start with and use in general.

My personal all around favourite, unless I am on as root, is bash. But I know several system admins that are just as adamite about ksh. Really though, personal choice, play around with all of them and see what you like more.

I personally love ksh. I have two AIX UNIX machines with ksh as the standard on both. I have used tcsh, csh and bash, though, and they're all pretty similar in uses. As nebulus suggested, play around with each and see which fits your needs.

AJ

Strangely enough, I've become rather attached to the tcsh. It's got the features I need.

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So a *nix shell is way in which you can skin the linux environment ? Tailoring it to your individual needs.

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wurzul -- I don't know that you would call what a shell can provide "skinning". You're probably thinking of the X-Windows interface. X uses different window managers to give the user a different look and feel. The shell is the command-line interpreter that you select to use to interact with the OS. People like to use different shells for all sorts of reasons, but many have to do with the options offered in the shell regarding programming the shell for scripting (like how to declare a variable, how to loop, defined environment variables, etc), and general aesthetic qualities (like prompt manipulation, or aliasing techniques).

avdven is correct, though. You should simply play around with each shell till you find one you like. To use a different shell temporarily, just type it's name at the prompt.

Roswell >>

Maybe I used the wrong word by referring to 'skinning' :), that is used in connection to GUI interfaces quite a lot. But is it 'skinning' in a form? Applying another layer on top of the *nix operating environment that has unique functionality to other shells that could be used.

wurzul -- Hmm... I guess you could call it that, but whichever shell you choose doesn't really add an additional layer of anything to the system, and it will not change how the kernel operates in any way. It's simply how you communicate with the kernel. The shell is a program, just like any program. Think of all the anti-virus programs out there. They all do the same thing, but in a different way. Most people will tell you, however, that McAfee or Norton are the top two because of their features. By the same token, many people praise bash, tcsh or zsh for their features. They all do the same thing (interact with the kernel), just in a different way. So, by that definition I guess you're right. You could call the shell a "skin" for the kernel.

Interesting way of thinking of it. I'll have to remember that! :bigsmile:

Try this site: http://www.nscp.umd.edu/shells.html

i like ksh too, but i think bash is much more popular. it's what the linux distros use.

if you're going to be doing a lot of shell scripting, stick with one of the sh varients.