Custom Shell Implementation in C

This project is a minimal implementation of a custom shell in C. The shell will allow users to run basic commands, handle redirection, background processes, and more, simulating the functionality of a typical Unix/Linux shell.

Features

• Command execution (external commands like ls, pwd, etc.)
• Built-in commands (cd, pwd, exit)
• Background execution using &
• Input/Output redirection (>, <)
• Piping between commands (|)
• Customizable prompt
• Error handling for invalid commands
• (Optional) Job control (Ctrl+Z, bg, fg)
• (Optional) Command history and aliases

Getting Started

Prerequisites

• A C compiler (GCC, Clang, etc.)
• A Unix-like operating system (Linux, macOS)
• Basic knowledge of C and Unix system calls

Project Structure

shell/
├── src/          # Source files for the shell
├── include/      # Header files
├── tests/        # Test cases and files for the shell
├── Makefile      # Makefile for managing build process
└── README.md     # Project documentation (this file)

Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/your-username/your-shell-repo.git
   cd your-shell-repo

2. Compile the project using make:

   make

3. Run the shell:

   ./shell

Usage

Once you start the shell, you can enter commands just like you would in any other terminal. For example:

sahilshell> ls -l
sahilshell> pwd
sahilshell> cd /path/to/directory
sahilshell> cat file.txt > output.txt
sahilshell> ls | grep '.txt'
sahilshell> ./a.out &

Built-in Commands

• cd [directory]: Change the current directory.
• pwd: Print the current working directory.
• exit: Exit the shell.

Roadmap

• Basic input/output handling
• Command loop and prompt customization
• Tokenization of input
• Forking and executing commands
• Implementing built-in commands (cd, pwd, exit)
• Handling redirection and pipes
• Background process management (&)
• Optional: Job control, command history, aliases

🚀 Contributing

If you'd like to contribute to this project, feel free to fork the repository and submit a pull request with any improvements, bug fixes, or new features. Happy Coding 🚀