This post continues the discussion on shell scripting. In a sense, a shell script is simply text that instructs other text-processing tools how to cooperate.

How does one become a programmer? Based on my own experience, this is all about agency—the moment you stop waiting for software to exist and start creating software that fits your own way of working. The key is discovering that if configuration isn’t enough, you can write the missing tool yourself.

One of the joys of being a textsmith is reading books that reinforce good practical habits on being productive on the terminal. This review of Daniel J. Barrett’s book, Efficient Linux at the Command Line shows why some books are timeless in their approach to their treatment of the terminal.

Every program is a set of functions that cooperate to produce the desired result. Did you ever consider how your computer makes it possible for you to craft complete programs on-the-fly through its small utilities?