Course Outline
Day 1
Module 1: Introduction to Python for Unix Users
Topics
Why choose Python for scripting and automation?
• Advantages of Python for scripting tasks
• Utilizing Python in system administration and DevOps contexts
Comparison of Bash and Python
• Variables
• Control flow structures (if statements, loops)
• File handling
• Executing system commands
Structure of a Python script
• Running Python scripts
• Utilizing the interpreter
• Managing command-line arguments
• Introduction to the argparse library
Exercises
Exercise 1 – Converting a basic Bash script to Python
The Bash script performs the following:
• Lists files within a directory
• Filters files by extension
• Displays statistical data
Participants will rewrite this functionality in Python.
Exercise 2 – Python script utilizing CLI arguments
Creating a Python script that:
• Accepts parameters from the command line
• Processes specified files
• Outputs structured results
Module 2: File and Directory Manipulation
Topics
Navigating the filesystem in Python
• Reading and writing files
• Directory navigation
• Path manipulation
Utilizing the pathlib module
• Path management techniques
• Performing file operations
Replacing standard Unix utilities
• grep
• find
• sed
• awk
with equivalent Python implementations
Exercises
Exercise 1 – Filesystem scanning
Python script that:
• Locates large files
• Identifies outdated files
• Generates a summary report
Exercise 2 – Processing configuration files
Python script that:
• Reads text-based files
• Extracts pertinent information
• Generates statistical data
Day 2
Module 3: Log Processing and Text Manipulation
Topics
Text handling in Python
• String operations
• Filtering and transforming data
Regular expressions (regex)
• Pattern recognition
• Parsing log data
Replacing shell pipelines
Example:
grep | awk | sed | sort
reimplemented in Python
Exercises
Exercise 1 – Log file analysis
Python script that:
• Reads system logs
• Identifies error entries
• Calculates error frequency
Exercise 2 – Converting a shell pipeline to Python
Transforming a complex Bash pipeline into an efficient Python script
Module 4: Automating System Commands
Topics
Executing shell commands from within Python
• Using the subprocess module
• Capturing command output
• Implementing error handling
Automating administrative tasks
• Running system commands programmatically
• Integrating with cron jobs
• Scripting for repetitive operations
Process management
• Monitoring active processes
• Implementing simple parallel execution
Exercises
Exercise 1 – Python script executing system commands
Script that:
• Runs Unix commands
• Captures the output
• Generates reports
Exercise 2 – Service monitoring
Python script that:
• Checks service status
• Gathers information
• Displays results
Day 3
Module 5: Advanced Automation and Interaction with External Services
Topics
Working with APIs in Python
• Introduction to HTTP requests
• Authentication and token management
• Processing JSON responses
Python for DevOps automation
• Collecting data from external services
• Integrating with existing toolsets
• Infrastructure scripting
Exercises
Exercise 1 – Python script consuming an API
Script that:
• Retrieves data from an API
• Processes the received information
• Generates a report
Exercise 2 – Automating data collection
Python script that:
• Gathers system information
• Generates a JSON or CSV report
Module 6: Building a CLI Tool for Administration
Topics
Structuring a Python project
• Code organization
• Function reuse
• Modules and packages
Creating a CLI tool
• Handling command-line arguments
• Producing structured output
• Implementing error handling
Final exercise
Participants will construct a CLI automation tool in Python that:
• Analyzes log files
• Identifies errors
• Generates statistics
• Can be executed directly from the command line
Course Outcomes
Upon completion of the course, participants will be able to:
• Transform shell scripts into Python equivalents
• Utilize Python for automating system tasks
• Process logs and complex data structures
• Build CLI tools for Unix system administration
Requirements
Prerequisites
- Foundational knowledge of Unix/Linux operating systems
- Familiarity with command-line interfaces (shell/Bash)
- Experience creating simple shell scripts (e.g., loops, conditional statements, file operations)
- A general understanding of system administration concepts is advantageous
- No prior Python experience is necessary
Target Audience
- System administrators operating within Unix/Linux environments
- DevOps engineers seeking to enhance their automation capabilities
- Engineers and technical specialists who rely on shell scripting for daily operations
- IT professionals interested in migrating from Bash to Python
- Developers working in Unix environments who wish to streamline their workflow automation
Testimonials (2)
The adaptation of exos to our context and the consideration of our request
Amel Guetat - EURO-INFORMATION DEVELOPPEMENTS
Course - Fraud Detection with Python and TensorFlow
Machine Translated
Hands-on exercises related to content really helps to understand more about each topic. Also, style of start class with lecture and continue with hands-on exercise is good and helpful to relate with the lecture that presented earlier.
