Introduction To Shell

So what is a Shell, and Why do we need them?

The Shell is the interface between the kernel and the user. It takes commands through the user and runs the functions of the kernel. Being able to interact with the kernel makes the shells a powerful tool. Without interacting with the kernel, users cannot access the utilities offered by their machine's operating system. The shell is available in different types of operating systems. These shells are of two different types: graphical shells and command-line shells.

The graphical line shells provide the graphical user interface, while the command line shells provide the command line interface. Both shells perform the same operations, but the graphical user interface is slower than the command line.

Working on a command-line shell is complicated for many beginners because they can't remember each command, so many prefer to work with the GUI.

In a command-line shell, we can store commands in a file and run them together, which are popularly known as "Shell Scripts." Using these scripts, we can make our work easy, and they can be automated.

It's essential to learn how to use Linux shell because there are many servers based on Linux. For example, every day, we use Google or any other website to access some data, and their websites are hosted on Linux servers.

Different Types of Shells in Linux

There are various types of shells in Linux. Each of these shells has properties that make them highly efficient for a specific use over the other shells.

• The Bourne Shell (sh)
• The GNU Bourne-Again Shell (bash)
• The C Shell (csh)
• The Korn Shell (ksh)
• The Z Shell (zsh)

The most commonly used shell in Linux is the Bourne-Again Shell (Bash) part of the GNU project.

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NOTE: The awesome artwork used in this article was created by @Max Iskra.