Is there a good free (prefrerably PDF) bash tutorial online?
I've learnt much from the Advanced Bash-Scripting Guide
This guide is targeted more at programming beginners, but it can prove useful too: Bash Guide for Beginners.
I usually use the HTML version as a reference when hacking Bash, but there is a PDF version of both guides if you want to read them all through. You can find all formats of the guides at http://www.tldp.org/guides.html
Do not miss to look at http://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashGuide.
The available PDF manuals are very limited. I download some of these HTML guides using something like wget --page-requisites --mirror --convert-links
so I can read them on the train on my laptop.
- The Advanced Bash Scripting Guide. Covers a range of topics, from basic to advanced.
- The Bash Reference Manual is okay, but it's just a reference manual. I read it, but I am sometimes left with unanswered questions. This is a pretty official document, and other guides often refer to this document.
- Bash Guide for Beginners. Despite the name, this is a great reference for experienced users also.
- BASH Frequently Asked Questions is a great resource
- The Bash-Hackers Wiki is an excellent resource and is filled with all sorts of useful topics. The Syntax Guide is great and often better syntax reference then the Bash Reference Manual.
- Vivek Gite has some great articles at cyberciti.biz. See bash.cyberciti.biz and www.cyberciti.biz/faq/category/bash-shell/