This comprehensive, hands-on guide to the subtleties and power of the shell focuses on two of the most recent Bourne shell variants, Bash and Zsh. Novices can learn the "Unix way," while power users can learn why and how to switch to Zsh, one of the most powerful and versatile shells ever written.

While Unix and Linux are slowly catching up to the more graphical Windows and Mac OS X windowing systems, the real power of Unix-like systems lie at the shell command-line. From the shell, you manage files, run commands, and maintain your system, often combining small tools in any number of ways to form ad hoc yet nonetheless complex data processors. To master Unix and Linux, you must master the command line.

From Bash to Z Shell: Conquering the Command Line is a comprehensive, hands-on guide to the subtleties and power of the shell, focusing on two of the most recent Bourne shell variants, Bash and Zsh. Novices can learn the "Unix way," while power users can learn why and how to switch to Zsh, one of the most powerful and versatile shells ever written. In between, users of all levels of skill can find hints, recipes, and suggestions to enhance and improve their skills.