Ideal for IT professionals with previous programming experience, this practical three-day course builds advanced shell scripting skills and deepens your understanding of essential Linux text manipulation tools. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to write more efficient, robust scripts that simplify complex tasks.
Linux Advanced Shell Programming Tools
Master essential tools for advanced text processing
Take your Linux scripting to the next level in this hands-on, instructor-led course. Over three days, you'll gain confidence using powerful tools to manipulate text, automate tasks and streamline your workflow.
Learning objectives
- Automate tasks using cron and at
- Use sed for powerful text editing
- Extract and format data with AWK
- Work with AWK arrays and functions
- Compare and format file contents
- Translate characters and compress files
- Apply advanced tar commands
- Implement effective backup routines
What you’ll learn
The Linux Advanced Shell Programming Tools course is designed for those who already have a foundation in Linux and want to take their skills further. You’ll learn how to manipulate files, extract data and automate tasks using key Linux tools like sed, AWK, tar, and more.
Master backup and compression techniques
Learn how to securely backup and restore files using tar, including advanced commands that streamline your file management routines. You’ll also explore compression tools such as zip, gzip and bzip2 enabling you to reduce storage usage and improve system performance. Both of which are essential skills for maintaining system integrity and supporting business continuity.
Automate tasks with cron and at
Discover how to schedule both recurring and one-time tasks using cron and at, ensuring critical scripts and maintenance jobs run exactly when needed. This course equips you with the skills to reduce manual intervention, improve efficiency, and build more reliable processes within your Linux environment.
Transform text handling with sed and AWK
Make use of stream editing and pattern scanning tools to manipulate large volumes of data with precision. You’ll use sed for real-time file editing, pattern space manipulation, and advanced control structures. Meanwhile, AWK training covers pattern matching, arithmetic operations, and output formatting, allowing you to extract meaningful data and automate reporting.
Advance your scripting with AWK logic and utilities
Go beyond basic scripting by applying control structures like if, while, and break to build dynamic AWK programmes. You’ll also work with associative and multi-dimensional arrays, and tap into powerful built-in functions for text parsing and data processing. Plus, learn to enhance your scripts with supporting tools such as getopts, zargs and logger, enabling more flexible and robust script development.
What’s included
- Three days of instructor-led training in a live virtual classroom
- Access to hands-on live labs
- Course notes and documentation
- Practical scripting exercises
- Post-course support materials
- Certificate of completion
- Interactive Q&A with trainers
Key facts
Ideal for
Programmers, developers and system administrators with scripting experience who need to manage and manipulate text files at an advanced level.
Prerequisites
You should have attended our Linux Introduction and Linux Shell Programming courses or have equivalent knowledge of Linux and shell scripting.
Learning experience
Our experienced trainers and interactive labs create a focused, practical environment – so you can put theory into practice from day one.
FAQs
This advanced Linux course helps you refine your shell scripting and file manipulation techniques using sed, AWK, cron, tar and other essential tools.
Do I need prior Linux experience for this course?
Yes, before starting this course you should be confident using Linux and writing basic shell scripts. Ideally, you’ll have completed our Linux Introduction and Linux Shell Programming courses.
Will the course give me hands-on experience using Linux?
Yes. This course uses practical Live labs and exercises to reinforce your learning, giving you real-time experience with the tools covered.
What scripting languages are used?
The Linux Advanced Shell Programming Tools course primarily focuses on two scripting languages:
- Bourne/Bash Shell Script: The course builds on your existing shell scripting knowledge, using standard shell syntax for automation, file handling, and integration of command-line utilities like tar, cron, at, and getopts
- AWK: A significant portion of the course is dedicated to AWK, a powerful pattern scanning and processing language. You’ll write full AWK scripts and programme files, working with variables, control structures, arrays, and functions to handle text-based data and reporting.
What our customers say
“Instructor was knowledgeable and explained the concept in a clear and well thought out manner."
Tony, Programmer/Analyst - Academic
“I have taken a number of virtual training courses over the years and I have to say this one was the best delivery wise."
Emma, Performance Analyst - Legal
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