Shell Scripting for Fun and Profit provides descriptions of 14 shell scripts that can be used for various tasks like checking spelling, searching manuals, playing games, organizing files, and converting dates. The scripts have aliases like checkspelling.sh and findman.sh and are executed by calling the alias followed by any additional arguments, such as words to check or search terms. The document encourages readers to create their own scripts to automate repetitive tasks on their systems.

1. Shell Scripting for Fun and Profit!
Brought to you by Spyderbyte Design with
credit to www.intuitive.com for some
awesome scripts.

2. Running Scripts
● To run a shell script, typically the syntax is:
“sh path/to/script.sh”.
● This is awkward, and irritating if you use it
frequently.

3. Aliases to the Rescue!
● Aliases are stored in
/home/user/.bash_aliases.
● They are written in the form: “alias untar='tar
-zxvf'”
● So for all of these shell scripts, it's assumed
an alias will be made for them, it will be just
$script for sake of clarity.

4. checkspelling.sh
● Ever wanted to just quickly check a word to
see if it's spelled right?
● This script integrates with ispell to provide
a command line interface for checking one
or more words.
● Usage: $script word1 word2 word3...
● Ex: $script word asdf

5. findman.sh
● This script searches manuals for specified
words.
● Usage: $script manualtosearch string(s).
● Ex: $script siege test

6. guessword.sh
● A word guessing game – Hangman style.
● It has preset words that you can change or
add to. It chooses one randomly when you
start the game.
● Usage: $script

7. hilow.sh
● Another guessing style game, this one
chooses a random number between 1 and
100, and tells you whether you were too
large or too small each time you guess.
The goal is to guess in as few tries as
possible.
● Usage: $script

8. newrm.sh
● In Linux, there isn't a really good way to
send things to the trash from the terminal.
● This script creates a protected, hidden
folder in your home directory where it
stores files you remove from the command
line.
● NOTE: Make a cron job to keep the folder
clearish, otherwise it will quickly get
massive.
● Usage: $script filename.

9. unrm.sh
● The counterpart of newrm. It searches the
trash directory and returns results.
● Usage: $script filename.

10. normdate.sh
● This script is a great example of a helper
script. It takes a date from a 2/21/2013 format,
and returns Feb 21, 2013.
● This isn't terribly useful on its own, but nice as
an addition to another script.
● Usage: $script 2/21/2013.

11. remindme.sh
● This provides a quick and easy way to search
a specified file for a given term, and returns
that entire line.
● Sooo, if you want a basic “things to remember
list”, and want to store some details, this could
be handy.
● Usage: $script string

12. timein.sh
● Ever wondered what time it was in
Cancun? Or felt too lazy to math out the
difference between here and PST? This will
tell you.
● Usage: $script PST, Europe/Dublin,
America/Cancun.

13. Your Options are Limitless
● Scripting is only limited by imagination.
● If you have something you do over and over
again, script it!
● Example: script to disable, un-install, and re-
install a given Drupal module.

14. Questions?