Project $2-5$

ESTIMATED TIME: $20$ minutes

OBJECTIVE: Use shell metacharacters.

DESCRIPTION: In this hands$-$on project, you use and protect shell metacharacters.

$1$

Switch to a command$-$line terminal $($tty$5)$ by pressing Ctrl$+$Alt$+$F$5$ and log in to the terminal using the user name of root and the password of LINUXrocks!.

$2$

At the command prompt, type date;who and press Enter to run the date command immediately followed by the who command. Use the information in Table $2-7$ to describe the purpose of the ; metacharacter.

$3$

At the command prompt, type echo This is OK and press Enter to display a message on the terminal screen.

$4$

At the command prompt, type echo Don't do this and press Enter. Which character needs to be protected in the previous command? Press the Ctrl$+$c keys to cancel your command and return to a BASH shell prompt.

$5$

At the command prompt, type echo "Don't do this" and press Enter. What is displayed on the terminal screen?

$6$

At the command prompt, type echo Don$\backslash \text{'}$t do this and press Enter. What is displayed on the terminal screen?

$7$

At the command prompt, type echo $SHELL and press Enter to view the expansion of a variable using a shell metacharacter. What is displayed on the terminal screen? Next, type echo $TEST and press Enter to find out what happens when a variable that does not exist is used in a command. What is displayed?