Linux: Project Report
Submitted for partial fulfillment of requirement for the award
of
Degree of
Master of Computer Applications
Chandigarh University, Mohali
Submitted By: Submitted To:
Name: Rahul Kumar Ms. Prabhjot Bhatti Mam
[Link]: 24MCA20169
Digital Clock Using Shell Scripting
[Link]
This project involves creating a digital clock using shell scripting on Linux CentOS. Shell
scripting is a powerful tool in Unix-like operating systems, allowing automation of various
tasks. For this project, the script is designed to display the current time in a real-time,
continuous format on the terminal, updating every second.
[Link]
The main objective of this project is to:
Develop a shell script that displays a real-time digital clock.
Update the time display every second to mimic the behavior of a standard digital clock.
Use basic shell scripting commands and tools available on CentOS, such as date, sleep,
and loops.
[Link]
To run this project, ensure that the following components are available on your system:
CentOS Linux installed (any recent version).
Basic understanding of Bash shell scripting.
Familiarity with terminal and command-line interface.
4. Implementation
Tools Used
Shell Scripting (Bash): The script is written in Bash, the default shell in CentOS.
date Command: To fetch the current time.
sleep Command: To create a delay of 1 second between each update.
clear Command: To refresh the display for the updated time.
[Link] Explanation
The following steps are taken in the implementation:
1. Get the Current Time: The date command is used to fetch the current time in the desired
format.
2. Clear the Screen: The clear command is used to refresh the terminal screen for each time
update.
3. Looping: A while loop is used to ensure that the clock continuously runs and updates
every second.
4. Delay: The sleep command introduces a 1-second pause between each update to simulate
the ticking of a clock.
[Link] of the Script
#!/bin/bash: This line tells the system to use Bash as the interpreter for the script.
while true: Creates an infinite loop that continues until the user stops the script manually.
clear: Clears the terminal screen before each time update to create a clean display.
date +"%H:%M:%S": Fetches the current time in Hour:Minute
format.
sleep 1: Pauses the execution of the script for 1 second to ensure the clock updates in real
time.
7. How to Run the Script
Step 1: Prepare the Environment
Before starting, ensure you have access to a CentOS system. Bash is the default shell on CentOS, so no
additional software is needed beyond the terminal.
Step 2: Create the Script File
We will create a shell script file to write the clock logic. Follow these steps to create a script file.
1. Open the terminal.
[Link] a text editor like vi or nano to create a new shell script file. For example, use vi to create the
file named digital_clock.sh:
The editor will open, and you can begin writing your script.
3. Now, write the script that will display the digital clock in real-time.
#!/bin/bash at the start of the script tells the system that this script should be interpreted using the
Bash shell.
4. Create an Infinite Loop: Since we want the clock to continuously update, we use a while true
loop that runs indefinitely.
[Link] the Terminal Screen: To make the clock display clean, we clear the screen before
updating the time. This ensures that the new time replaces the old one, preventing overlap.
6. Fetch and Display the Current Time: The date command is used to fetch the current system
time. To display the time in HH:MM
format, we use the +"%H:%M:%S" option of the date command.
7. Pause for 1 Second: After displaying the time, we need the script to wait for 1 second before
updating again. This is done using the sleep command.
[Link] the Loop: The done command ends the while loop, ensuring it repeats indefinitely.
[Link] Script
Here is the final version of the script, combining all the steps above
:
Save and Exit
To save the script in vi editor, press Esc, then type :wq and press Enter. This saves the file and closes the
editor.
Run the Script
Now that the script is executable, you can run it by typing the following command in the terminal:
Stop the Script
Since the script is an infinite loop (it will run indefinitely), you need to stop it manually when you no longer
need it. To stop the script, press Ctrl + C in the terminal. This will break the loop and terminate the script.
Output
Color code to change terminal text apply
Final Output
Explanation of Key Components
Here’s a breakdown of the important commands and components used in the script:
#!/bin/bash: The shebang line tells the system to use Bash to interpret the script.
while true: This is an infinite loop that runs the commands inside it continuously.
clear: Clears the terminal screen, ensuring a clean display for each clock update.
date +"%H:%M:%S": Fetches and displays the current time in hours, minutes, and
seconds format.
sleep 1: Pauses the script for 1 second between each loop iteration, making it act
like a real clock.
Ctrl + C: The keyboard shortcut to terminate the script manually.
Conclusion
By following these steps, you have successfully created a digital clock using shell scripting on
Linux CentOS. The script utilizes basic shell commands (date, clear, sleep, and loops) to
continuously display the current time in real-time. This project demonstrates the power of shell
scripting and how it can be used to automate tasks and create simple, useful utilities.
This project demonstrates how shell scripting can be used to create a functional digital clock
that continuously displays the current time on Linux CentOS.
