A Step‑by‑Step Tutorial for Writing Basic Shell Scripts on Linux

Many newcomers wonder where to write shell scripts; this guide starts from the very basics and shows you how to create, edit, and run scripts on a local machine, virtual machine, or cloud server using a terminal or SSH.

Recommended environment

Operating system: any Linux/Unix system (physical, VM, or cloud).

Login method: direct terminal access or ssh for remote servers.

Editor: vim (recommended) or nano for beginners.

Creating the first script: hello.sh

Step 1 – Choose a directory

Store all scripts under ~/scripts for easy management.

mkdir -p ~/scripts
cd ~/scripts

Step 2 – Create the file

Open the file with vim hello.sh. Press i to enter insert mode and paste the following content:

#!/bin/bash

echo "你好，Shell 脚本！"

Step 3 – Save and exit

Press Esc.

Type :wq and press Enter.

File saved successfully!

Step 4 – Make the script executable

Run chmod +x hello.sh to grant execution permission.

chmod +x hello.sh

Step 5 – Execute the script

./hello.sh

Output:

你好， Shell 脚本！

Common error troubleshooting

Error

Cause

Solution command not found Missing ./ before script name.

Run ./hello.sh. Permission denied No execute permission.

Run chmod +x hello.sh. No such file or directory Wrong filename or path.

Use ls to verify location.

Second example: name_check.sh (user input and conditional)

Step 1 – Create the file

cd ~/scripts
vim name_check.sh

Enter insert mode ( i) and paste:

#!/bin/bash

read -p "请输入你的名字：" name

if [ "$name" == "root" ]; then
    echo "欢迎管理员大人！"
else
    echo "你好，$name"
fi

Step 2 – Save, exit, and add permission

:wq

chmod +x name_check.sh

Step 3 – Run and test

./name_check.sh

When you type jack you see 你好，jack; typing root prints 欢迎管理员大人！.

This demonstrates variables, user input, and conditional statements in Bash.

Organizing scripts

Keep scripts in a structured directory, for example:

~/scripts/
├── base/        # beginner scripts
├── monitor/     # monitoring scripts
├── backup/      # backup scripts
└── deploy/      # deployment scripts

Move your scripts into the appropriate folder:

mkdir -p ~/scripts/base
mv hello.sh name_check.sh ~/scripts/base/

Final checklist

Create script files with vim and save using :wq.

Grant execution rights with chmod +x.

Use variables, conditionals, and user input.

Store scripts in a well‑organized directory hierarchy.

These steps form the foundation for writing effective shell scripts before moving on to cron jobs, functions, or logging.