Manipulating files and programs using Unix shell file programs can often be a bit of a pain, even for seasoned programmers. This can be due to how infrequently you use them, or because you are often moving between OS/X, Windows and Linux, and their subtle differences can often trip you up.
I used to be fairly proficient at them, but nowadays find I use them so rarely that I often have to revise what I used to know, even to achieve the most basic tasks. For many coders, the Unix shell programming language has become like an obscure language you only brush up on when you need to speak to a distant relative at Christmas time.
Fortunately, if you know and love Python, most of what you need to do with the Unix shell for filename searching, for-loops and file permissions can easily be done with iPython, without having to spend hours revising what you first learnt to do in Unix shell years ago.
Alas, dear Windows, it was not to be. I’m afraid I’ve been seeing other platforms. Specifically, I’ve been spending time with OS/X behind your back. It was just too painful to be with you. All those arguments, the shouting, the hair-pulling, the throwing things across the room.
