Introduction to Unix Introduction to UNIX-based Operating Systems Over the course of its more than 50-year existence, the UNIX operating system has greatly influenced the advancement of contemporary computer systems. Today's majority of operating systems, including different Linux distributions, macOS, iOS, and Android, are really developed on top of UNIX. One of our main tools for any data science endeavor is the UNIX command line and the utility commands it provides. Before using them in the context of subsequent lectures and exercises, we give a brief overview of UNIX-based operating systems in this article. Why is UNIX important? Many computing and data systems, including those used by industrial behemoths like Facebook and Google, are built on the widely used UNIX operating system. UNIX offers a very potent development environment because to its operating system, which is based on the compossibility of small utility programs that are excellent at doing one thing. These programs are referred to as commands. By combining these commands with some programming syntax, or scripting, users can create their own commands and applications. So, why is it important to us as data scientists? UNIX is undoubtedly a skill that is anticipated for the majority of programming positions. UNIX is a robust operating system that also includes commands for data search, subsetting, and transformation. Using these commands effectively can facilitate speedy data processing and analysis through the command line. This can be quite helpful, especially when performing exploratory analysis and getting the data ready. Even rapid approaches to create a pipeline of commands is available in UNIX. Also, a lot of data science tools provide a command-line interface that works through the UNIX shell and requires command-line involvement. After some practice with the UNIX command line, you might find it simpler to interact with other command-line tools and apps, so let's get started. The UNIX Operating System The Kernel, the Shell, and the applications make up the three primary components of the UNIX operating system. The UNIX Kernel, which controls the system's resources and acts as an interface for hardware devices, is the operating system's central component. The Kernel is in charge of controlling the system's memory, processing input and output requests, and controlling processes and system calls. Shell: The UNIX Shell serves as the user's interface to the kernel, which is UNIX's command-line interpreter. Simply said, it enables the Kernel to run user-written applications and UNIX commands. For instance, the UNIX command "ls" lists files in the Shell. When the user presses return, it will be understood by the Shell and executed. Every time a user connects into a UNIX-like system, the UNIX Shell launches automatically. It receives commands and issues system calls to carry them out. Moreover, it offers a shell scripting or programming interface for the Shell environment. Applications that are run on the UNIX operating system are known as programs. There is a huge library of programs available for UNIX that may be used for everything from text processing to system administration. UNIX programs are intended to be short and to perform a single task exceptionally effectively. Understanding Files and Processes Everything in UNIX, even the hard disk volumes, is represented by a process or a file, which is a key characteristic. Due to this, there is no equivalent to Windows' idea of named drives. A process is an active program that can be recognized by its own process identifier, often known as a PID. Data collections called files are set up in a directory structure. These files are produced by active programs and users. In reality, directories are simply special files that house other files. A file system is a hierarchical structure used to organize files. The top of the file system hierarchy is indicated by the forward slash "/," which stands for root directory. The root directory is situated above all other directories and files. The UNIX Command Line An interface for communicating with the UNIX operating system is the command line. It offers a strong set of instruments for performing The Importance of UNIX Command Line for Data Scientists We'll talk about the UNIX operating system in this week's third lesson. One of the most important resources for any data science endeavor is the UNIX command line and the utility commands it provides. Before using UNIX-based operating systems in the context of subsequent lectures and exercises, we will give you a brief introduction to them in this article. Now that you're familiar with a UNIX-based command line, you can go on and skip this lesson. But if you're still reading, you'll be able to define UNIX, comprehend files and processes, see how the UNIX directory structure is organized, launch a UNIX terminal, and issue your first command by the time this tutorial is out. What is UNIX, and Why is it Important? With the exception of those that are based on the Windows operating system, the majority of contemporary operating systems are based on UNIX. Many Linux distributions, the Mac OS X 10.5 operating system, iOS, and Android are examples of popular UNIX-based operating systems. The UNIX family tree demonstrates how UNIX has a large impact and is widely used in the sector. Several computing and data systems, including market leaders like Facebook and Google, use UNIX as their back end. As an operating system, UNIX offers a strong programming environment based on the compositability of compact utility programs that excel at doing a single task. Users can create their own commands and programs by combining these programs, some programming syntax, and scripting. These programs are referred to as commands. Since most programming professions require knowledge of UNIX, why is it important to us as data scientists? The UNIX operating system offers commands for data search, subsetting, and transformation in addition to being a strong operating system. With the command line, efficient use of these tools can aid in speedy data manipulation and analysis. This can be quite beneficial, especially when preparing data for exploratory analysis. Even rapid approaches to create a pipeline of commands are available in UNIX. Also, a lot of data science tools provide a command line interface that works through the UNIX shell and requires command line involvement. You might find it simpler to interact with different command line tools and apps once you've become familiar with the UNIX command line. The Three Main Parts of UNIX The Kernel, the Shell, and the Programs are the three primary components of the UNIX operating system. A command line interpreter for UNIX, the Kernel, communicates with the user through the UNIX Shell. It enables the Kernel to run user-written applications and UNIX commands, to put it simply. For instance, the UNIX command "ls" is used in the Shell to list files. When the user presses the return key, it will be decoded and executed by the Shell. Every time a user connects into a system that is similar to UNIX, the UNIX Shell launches automatically. It takes commands and executes them by calling system functions. Moreover, it offers an interface for shell scripting or programming within the Shell environment. To sum up, commands in UNIX are just programs that the Shell runs. Every time the user issues a command through the Shell, the kernel receives the command and spawns a process with a special identifier to carry it out. Everything, even the hard disk volumes, is represented by a process or a file, which is a fundamental aspect of UNIX. Because of this, there is no equivalent to Windows' named drive idea. Processes and Files in UNIX A process is an active program that is recognized by a specific process identifier, or PID as it is commonly known. As opposed to collections of data, files are arranged in a directory structure. These files are produced by users and active processes. Directories are unique files that house other files. A hierarchical tree structure is used to organize files.