Back to DevOps Series

Other Unix Shells (Brief Overview)

Other Unix Shells (Brief Overview)

These shells exist in Unix/Linux systems, but you do NOT need to learn them deeply as a beginner.

Just knowing what they are and why they exist is enough.

1. Ksh (Korn Shell)

Ksh is a powerful scripting shell designed for enterprise and production systems.

Main use:

Writing robust system scripts in large organizations

Common in old enterprise Unix systems (AIX, Solaris)

What it is made from:

Built on sh

Added better scripting features before bash existed

Why it exists:

To provide strong scripting + performance for enterprise systems

Simple example:

#!/bin/ksh
name="Atul"
echo "Hello $name"

2. Csh (C Shell) & Tcsh

Csh is a shell with C-like syntax, mainly created for interactive use, not scripting.

Main use:

Interactive shell for users who liked C language syntax

Tcsh is an improved version with better completion

What it is made from:

Inspired by C programming language

Syntax very different from sh/bash

Why it exists:

To make the shell feel familiar to C programmers

Simple example:

#!/bin/csh
set name = "Atul"
echo "Hello $name"

❌ Do NOT use csh/tcsh for scripting

❌ Not recommended for DevOps

❌ Mostly outdated