The Byobu session manager extends the shell, adding a range of useful functions, such as splitting the screen, running programs in the background, or organizing programs in tabs. In particular, administrators who rely on SSH will appreciate Byobu.

Bash offers any number of simplifications, especially when it comes to pesky individual steps in installation routines for larger software packages. Some caution is advisable, though, if you need to handle database and application passwords, which can easily be compromised.

Steer around errors and save yourself some typing by adding autocompletion to your Bash scripts.

A complete introduction to the shell for novices and masters alike.

Debugging the kernel of a running operating system has always been tricky, but now the Qemu emulator supports cross-platform kernel and module debugging at the programming language level.

In the beginning was the double pound sign and the exclamation mark – or at least shell scripts always start this way. The inventor, Dennis Ritchie, really didn’t know how much pain this was going to cause users.

This month, Charly considers Jacobin rule, Napoleon Bonaparte’s neoconservatism, Jewish and Islamic tradition, and a cronjob that nearly worked.

Firewalls often block shell access for remote users on a corporate network or at an Internet cafe. Luckily, tools like PHP Shell and Shell in a Box put the shell in a browser window.