How-to manual for Terminal for OS X 10.5.8

Shell Scripting Primer: Introduction

Here is a link to the Advanced Bash Scripting Guide ( don't let the name fool you, it is written for beginners thru advanced users)- http://tldp.org/LDP/abs/

Are you looking for a primer in some programming language, or just using the UNIX commands in Terminal?

I have been programming in C for decades, and can strongly recommend "The C Programming Language" as probably the best C referene book I have seen. It was written by Brian W. Kernighan and Dennis M. Ritchie, the original authors of C. My copy was published in 1988, and has never left my library. My library is VERY small, and I only keep books that have real value. Current editions (yes, it is updated every few years and currently sells at $70) have more recent updates.

Some other texts may be a little better an "simple introduction to C", but this book is the most complete coverage of the entire basic language within 250 pages that I have seen.

That is, assuming the reference in your last post to C was not a mistyping on your part.

Else, read the primer on UNIX, and do not forget "man <command>" for a complete online manual available for most any command.

After a few minutes I came across the instruction to first read the “Command Line Primer” but there was no link to where I could find it.

That seems to be a reference to a document that no longer exists. I wouldn't worry about it. The primer is self-contained, though not really intended for programming beginners.

My favorite book for learning to use the shell and understanding the Unix principals is also a Brian Kernighan book

"The Unix Programming Environment", by Kernighan and Pike.

While this book was written in 1984, it is still a good book for learning Unix principals as well as learning how to use the shell.

While in a Terminal session, you can use the 'man' command to find out information about individual commands, although that is only use if you know the command exists.

The 'apropos' command is EXTREMELY useful, in that you can ask it to find any commands that mention a keyword you give apropos

apropos permissions

apropos delete

apropos directory

etc...

The 'man' pages are broken down into sections. Section 1 is user commands, sections 2, 3, 4, 5, 7 are programming APIs, section 6 is games, section 8 are administrator commands.

If you just want a list of all the use commands you could use

apropos 1

If you want the admin command list

apropos 8

Once you find a command that looks interesting, you can get detailed information about the command using

man command_name

NOTE: The command line interface is non-trivial. At one time it was considered user friendly back in the days when the alternative was a keypunch maching and 80 column punched cards. But today, the command line interface is NOT very friendly.

NOTE 2: There are some very powerful commands available from the command line. If you are not careful, you can delete files the system needs to operate properly, or delete something you personally needed. Deleting something from the command line means it is gone, unless you want to pay thousands of dollars to have a service recorder the data. Just assume anything you delete from the command line is gone.

But to those of use that have been using the command line for years, we find it an old friend that gives us a lot of power which would be difficult from a GUI interface.

OK.

We will start with the basics, based on your stated limitations.

I will try to not "talk down", but this will be a process of me and others "feeling out" how much detail we need to put in to help you.

"How do I get back to this page if I sign out?".

When you sign back in, not just to "communities" but as "you", you will have a "Your Stuff" in the upper right hand part of the screen. Right click on it, and select the "Discussions" tab. This discussion will appear in the list and will say "Updated" in yellow if someone responds.

"Why is the area for entering 2x the width of my screen?"

On my screen normally, the area for entering is 1/2 only the width of the screen, and the letters are too tiny for my eyes. I use the "screen zoom" to make it larger. Screen zoom is accomplished by holding the "control" key while using a two-finger scroll up or down. But I am on a MacBook Pro, and it is my first Mac, so MacBook may not have the same screen controls.

To get a sense of how much detail we can provide at one time, please respond to this post and answer if I am providing appropriate information in the appropriate manner.

It sounds like you are off to a good start.

You can access these discussions more easily, and see all posts in the chain at once.

And you are getting a handle on how much help is available, and how to access it.

But ... BobHarris has suggested a good path. A good written primer on all parts on UNIX is a good start. I still keep my O'Reilly "UNIX in a Nutshell" because UNIX is really just so *huge* that very few people understand it all, much less can type any given command without some reference guide access.

BobHarris deserves a "Helpful answer" in my opinion (I would Mr. Harris, but I am not allowed!)

This discussion is in my list of "bookmarks", so when you need more that you think I can help with, feel free to ask.

I'd head over to you local library. Any book on the Bash shell will do.

Mac OS x is based on unix. Unix is a complex operating system not noted for ease of use. When Apple came out with Mac OS X, they de-emphasized the fact you could work in Unix. They didn't want to scare people. This has changed over time. To access Unix you use the terminal.

Practical Guide to Linux Commands, Editors, and Shell Programming, A (Paperback) Third edition includes Mac OS X the book

This is the best intro to the terminal that I have found.

(( I don't know what is going on. I can not find the third addition at amazon. ))

((( I don't know what is happenning. I cannot find the third addition. I'll have to look later. The second edition is almost as good. It' leave out a few Mac OS features. Unix is unix so it mostly is correct about Mac OS X. )))

Mac OS X Tiger in a Nutshell: A Desktop Quick Reference (In a Nutshell (O'Reilly))

http://www.amazon.com/Mac-OS-Tiger-Nutshell-Reference/dp/0596009437/ref=sr_1_4?s =books&ie=UTF8&qid=1285174595&sr=1

I know it's old, but I haven't seen an update.