Custom Simple Shell

Overview

This project is a custom-built simple shell designed to provide a lightweight and efficient command-line interface for interacting with the system. It offers seamless command execution, input/output redirection, environment variable management, and more. The shell is developed in C programming language, ensuring low-level control and efficiency.

Table of Contents

• Features
• Technologies Used
• Installation Guide
• Usage Instructions
• Testing
• Contributing Guidelines
• License

Features

• Command Execution: Users can execute system commands and interact with the underlying operating system.
• Environment Variables: Allows management of environment variables, including setting, exporting, and displaying values.
• History and Editing: Provides command history and editing capabilities for efficient navigation and modification of previous commands.
• Signal Handling: Implements proper signal handling for common signals like SIGINT and SIGTSTP.
• Job Control: Enables job control features, allowing users to manage and manipulate running jobs.
• Built-in Commands: Includes built-in commands such as cd, pwd, echo, and more.
• Exit Status: Displays exit status of executed commands, indicating success or failure.

Technologies Used

• C Programming Language: The shell is developed in C, ensuring low-level control and efficiency.
• System Calls: Utilizes standard C library functions and system calls to interact with the operating system.
• Standard I/O Library: Leverages standard input/output functions for handling user input and output.
• Memory Management: Employs dynamic memory allocation and proper memory management techniques.

Installation Guide

To install and build the Custom Simple Shell:

1. Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/joekariuki3/joel-shell.git
2. Navigate to the project directory: cd joel-shell.git
3. Compile the source code: gcc *.c -o shell
4. Set execution permission: chmod +x shell

Usage Instructions

1. Run the shell by executing the binary file: ./shell
2. Start interacting with the shell by entering commands. Here are some basic commands you can use:
   • ls: List the contents of the current directory.
   • pwd: Print the current working directory.
   • cd: Change the current working directory. Usage: cd <directory_path>
   • env: Display all environment variables and their values.
   • echo: Display a line of text. Usage: echo <text_to_display>
   • mkdir: Create a new directory. Usage: mkdir <directory_name>
   • touch: Create a new file. Usage: touch <file_name>
   • cat: Display the contents of a file. Usage: cat <file_name>
   • rm: Remove a file or directory. Usage: rm <file_name> or rm -r <directory_name> for recursive removal.
3. Exit the shell using the exit command.

Testing

To ensure the reliability and correctness of the shell, comprehensive testing has been conducted, including:

• Unit Testing: Individual functions and modules have been tested in isolation.
• Integration Testing: The shell has been tested as a whole, ensuring proper interaction between components.
• Stress Testing: The shell has been subjected to high load to evaluate its performance and stability.
• Memory Testing: Valgrind has been used to identify and address any memory-related issues. valgrind ./shell

Contributing Guidelines

Contributions are welcome! Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository on GitHub.
2. Create a branch for your changes: git checkout -b feature/your-feature.
3. Commit your changes: git commit -m 'Describe your changes'.
4. Push your changes to your branch: git push origin feature/your-feature.
5. Submit a pull request for review.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. For more information, refer to the LICENSE file in the repository.

Feel free to contact @joekariuki3 the project owner for any queries or suggestions. Enjoy using and contributing to the Custom Simple Shell!