README.md

Operating System Shell

A basic shell that targets both Windows And Ubuntu written in C++ for COSC 439 - Operating Systems course.

Features

This shell implements the following commands:

• cd: Change directory
• clear: Clear the terminal
• environ: Display environment variables
• echo: Display a line of text
• help: Display help information
• pause: Pause the shell
• quit: Quit the shell
• ls: List directory contents
• pwd: Print working directory
• cat: Display file contents
• mkdir: Create directories
• rmdir: Remove empty directories
• rm: Remove files
• cp: Copy files
• mv: Move/rename files
• touch: Create empty files or update timestamps
• wc: Word count (lines, words, characters)
• grep: Search text patterns in files

Building the Project

The project is built using C++. To build the shell:

1. Ensure you have a C++ compiler installed like g++
2. Navigate to the project directory
3. Compile the main file:

g++ 439shell.cpp -o 439shell

Usage

Interactive Mode

Run the compiled shell:

./439shell

The shell will start with a prompt where you can enter commands.

>> [command] [arguments...]

Command Line Mode

You can also run individual commands directly from the command line without actually starting the shell.

./439shell [command] [arguments...]

Example:

./439shell help
./439shell ls
./439shell mkdir new_directory
./439shell cat file.txt

Command Reference

Directory Operations

• mkdir <directory>: Create a new directory
• rmdir <directory>: Remove an empty directory
• ls: List directory contents
• pwd: Print current working directory

File Operations

• touch <file>: Create an empty file or update timestamp
• rm <file>: Remove a file
• cp <source> <destination>: Copy files
• mv <source> <destination>: Move or rename files

File Content Operations

• cat <file>: Display file contents
• wc <file>: Count lines, words, and characters
• grep <pattern> <file>: Search for text patterns

Project Structure

• src/: Contains implementation files for each command
• src/Windows/: Windows-specific command implementations
• src/Unix/: Unix-specific command implementations
• src/Models/: Shell model classes. Also holds functions that should work no matter the platform
• 439shell.cpp: Main shell implementation

System Requirements

• C++11 or later
• Unix-like system (Linux, macOS, or WSL)
• Windows
• Standard C++ libraries