BECOME A COMMAND LINE COMMANDO! Running the Git Bash shell on a Windows system gives you access to much of the power of Linux without the headaches of administering a virtual machine or setting up a dual-boot system. Learn how easy it is to install and configure Git and the Bash shell, and the power of many of the Linux utilities that are included with your installation.
Learn the basics of Bash shell scripting, and the many conveniences that Bash provides for its users, such as easy command history manipulation, auto-completion, and job control, while continuing to use your favorite graphical tools. Freely cut and paste between your command line window and your favorite Windows applications.
If you wish, learn the basics of the Git version control system as well, but rest assured that you can get all the benefits of using Bash without having to learn Git at all.
Become a Command Line Commando, and never fear the command line again!
AUTHOR'S NOTE While much of this book applies to using Bash on any operating system, Linux and Macintosh users will probably already be familiar with a lot of the material. Windows users, especially those who are hesitant to work from the command line, will get the most benefit from this book. While the Git version control system and the Bash shell are conceptually two separate products, one Windows installer will provide you with both, along with dozens of additional Linux utilities.
One of the challenges for an author is not only deciding what material to cover, but also what to leave out. Thoroughly covering all the topics involved would have resulted in a 1500-page book. Instead, I have tried to pare the coverage down to the essentials and ignore more advanced features that many people will never use. However, I have retained some of the more advanced topics such as regular expressions, which are critical for programmers to understand, and which will reappear in many other contexts. If you don't agree with my choices, feel free to skip sections that aren't appropriate for your needs.
You will notice that I haven't stuffed the page with fake reviews from friends who haven't even read the book. So if you order it and find it useful, I would be very grateful if you would take a few minutes to post a positive review. And in the event you don't like it, well, I hope you can at least offer some constructive criticism. Thank you, and I hope you enjoy the book!
About the Author: Michael Hanna has a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from U.C. Santa Barbara. He has 15+ years of experience in the software industry, having worked on projects ranging from the Space Shuttle to Internet startup companies. While he loves a good graphical interface, he usually finds it much more productive to work from the command line.
