Classic Shell Scripting

Learning the vi Editor (6th Edition)

sed & awk (2nd Edition)

Mastering Regular Expressions, Second Edition

Wicked Cool Shell Scripts

Unix

Learning the bash Shell (Nutshell Handbooks)

Format: Paperback
Author: Cameron Newham
ReleaseDate: 01 January, 2005
Publisher: O'Reilly Media
Rating:

Good introduction and reference resource
It takes you from a very basic introduction into deeper concepts including shell scripting and customization. This is a useful introduction to the Bash shell used in unix, linux, and other *nix type operating systems. Highly recommended for the niche market it is intended to reach. I found it clear, useful and detailed without being dull.

Essential linux skills.
ed. This book (2nd.) shows how bash shell programming exploits special capabilities of linux and unix. Shell programming manages other, more specialized, programs. So understanding the shell is essential to fully exploiting multitasking environments like linux.

This book comfortably covers a complex topic. As software evolves, these skills apply to the TCL shell and the Z shell, too. I am eager to get started on the 3rd. edition of this book.

simple subject
]

In the last 10 years, it appears that the shell wars in unix and linux have settled down. [A review of the THIRD EDITION 2005. With bash being the clear favourite. So if you are going to invest your time learning any shell, perhaps you should go with bash and maybe use this book as a helper. It shows that script writing in bash is pretty simple. If you already know another shell, like csh or Korn, then the ideas carry over and so too would most of the syntax.

Along the way, the book teaches you more about your operating system. Especially for managing processes/jobs.

My background is as a programmer, so I've never been big on shells and their scripting. But others like you may hark from a sysadmin role and prefer shell activity.