# Unix shell script learning **URL:** \ **Category:** UNIX Desktop Questions & Answers\ **Created:** [July 20, 2010, 1:06pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/unix-shell-script-learning/269886 "2010-07-20T13:06:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![sam70](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/sam70/32/6_449c533f586939b6e5f246632a46421f.png) [@sam70](https://community.unix.com/u/sam70)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 1:06pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/unix-shell-script-learning/269886/1 "2010-07-20T13:06:35Z")
I am trying to learn Shell scripting in UNIX. Could Any one please suggest on how to get UNIX account or any other free stimulator available for download on which I can practice Unix shell script? Thanks, sam70 ---
**Author:** ![thegeek](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/thegeek/32/6_449c533f586939b6e5f246632a46421f.png) [@thegeek](https://community.unix.com/u/thegeek)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 1:31pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/unix-shell-script-learning/269886/2 "2010-07-20T13:31:42Z")
Cant you install linux in some partition ? Little space is enough. Or try Ubuntu from Live CD. ---
**Author:** ![pludi](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/pludi/32/1278_2.png) [@pludi](https://community.unix.com/u/pludi)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 2:03pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/unix-shell-script-learning/269886/3 "2010-07-20T14:03:44Z")
Download and install Oracle (former: Sun) [VirtualBox](http://www.virtualbox.org/) and choose any Free UNIX (OpenSolaris, \*BSD, Linux) to install. ---
**Author:** ![joeyg](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/joeyg/32/780_2.png) [@joeyg](https://community.unix.com/u/joeyg)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 2:28pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/unix-shell-script-learning/269886/4 "2010-07-20T14:28:26Z")
[Cygwin Information and Installation](http://www.cygwin.com/) ---
**Author:** ![sam70](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/sam70/32/6_449c533f586939b6e5f246632a46421f.png) [@sam70](https://community.unix.com/u/sam70)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/unix-shell-script-learning/269886/5 "2010-07-20T14:44:56Z")
Thanks for suggestion. I think cygwin is simplest for me. Can we practice shell script in cygwin? thanks, sam70 ---
**Author:** ![joeyg](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/joeyg/32/780_2.png) [@joeyg](https://community.unix.com/u/joeyg)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 3:01pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/unix-shell-script-learning/269886/6 "2010-07-20T15:01:14Z")
I have installed cygwin on a couple of different PC's. And yes, you can use to practice scripting commands - I use it to try and test certain commands. Have fun... ---
**Author:** ![Corona688](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/corona688/32/6_449c533f586939b6e5f246632a46421f.png) [@Corona688](https://community.unix.com/u/Corona688)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 3:23pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/unix-shell-script-learning/269886/7 "2010-07-20T15:23:57Z")
cygwin's a good way to build a UNIX program in Windows without completely rewriting it; so cygwin lets a UNIX shell run inside windows. But cygwin is written overtop of windows and therefore still subject to many Windows idiosyncrasies(not allowed to open devices more than once; case insensitive filenames; and other things more obscure). Some basic UNIX features may be either implemented in a very strange and roundabout way, or missing entirely(how may consumer versions of windows even have working symbolic or hard links?) And you still don't have basic UNIX tools unless you install them too. It's little use to have a UNIX shell without ls and so forth. So, cygwin is useful for building and running programs in Windows that'd otherwise require large amounts of modification. But as a teaching tool I think it stinks. It's not a standard environment; the lessons you learn won't necessarily have anything to do with real UNIX behavior. ---
**Author:** ![joeyg](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/joeyg/32/780_2.png) [@joeyg](https://community.unix.com/u/joeyg)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 3:36pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/unix-shell-script-learning/269886/8 "2010-07-20T15:36:47Z")
Since limitations of cygwin were brought up, perhaps some clarification from me. I realize that cygwin is not a perfect simulator - it is not a unix environment, but a program that allows a user to execute many unix commands like ls, tr, cut, grep, paste, and so on. For someone learning about commands and syntax and options, I believe ti to be a reasonable 'free' download for PC environments. I use the cygwin to solve many of my real-world problems, and also to simulate (and solve) issues brought up here for support. So, the choice is yours - cygwin is free, and you can play with commands, or you can go out and download or buy other options. MKS software I used before, and felt it to more closely match 'true' unix - but you must buy the MKS software. For me, I like to try 'free' options out first. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Corona688](https://community.unix.com/letter_avatar/corona688/32/6_449c533f586939b6e5f246632a46421f.png) [@Corona688](https://community.unix.com/u/Corona688)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 8:12pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/unix-shell-script-learning/269886/9 "2010-07-20T20:12:53Z")
Dual-booting is also free. There's also [user-mode linux](http://user-mode-linux.sourceforge.net/), also free, though probably more difficult. ---
**Author:** ![fpmurphy](https://community.unix.com/user_avatar/community.unix.com/fpmurphy/32/110_2.png) [@fpmurphy](https://community.unix.com/u/fpmurphy)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2010, 10:27pm UTC](https://community.unix.com/t/unix-shell-script-learning/269886/10 "2010-07-20T22:27:43Z")
An alternative to cygwin is AT&T's Dave Korn's UWIN. See [UWIN](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UWIN). It mainly uses the Win32 subsystem instead of the POSIX subsystem but is a good learning environment.