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Cited by 3Parallel Computing and Optimization TechniquesLogic, programming, and type systemsSoftware System Performance and Reliability

Executing Shell Scripts in the Wrong Order, Correctly

Open access
Liargkovas, Georgios, Kallas, Konstantinos, Greenberg, Michael, Vasilakis, Nikos·2023·Proceedings of the 19th Workshop on Hot Topics in Operating Systems
DOI 10.1145/3593856.3595891
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Abstract

Shell scripts are critical infrastructure for developers, administrators, and scientists; and ought to enjoy the performance benefits of the full suite of advances in compiler optimizations. But between the shell's inherent challenges and neglect from the community, shell tooling and performance lags far behind the state of the art. We propose executing scripts out-of-order to better use modern computational resources. Optimizing any part of an arbitrary shell script is very challenging: the shell language's complex, late-bound semantics makes extensive use of opaque external commands with arbitrary side effects.

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Crossref · 10.1145/3593856.3595891

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3 of 3 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Shell scripts may not handle edge cases or input errors gracefully, increasing the risk of unintended consequences in production environments.

    “Moreover, shell scripts may not handle edge cases or input errors gracefully, increasing the risk of unintended consequences in production environments (Liargkovas et al., 2023).”

    From Modern Approaches to Unix Automation: Shell Scripting, Configuration Management, and Security (2025) · cites this paper as Liargkovas et al., 2023

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Authors
Liargkovas, G., Kallas, K., Greenberg, M., & Vasilakis, N.
Affiliations
  • Brown University (US)
  • University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
  • Stevens Institute of Technology (US)
ORCID
Venue
Proceedings of the 19th Workshop on Hot Topics in Operating Systems
Publisher
ACM
Published
2023-06-22
Pages
103-109
DOI
10.1145/3593856.3595891
OpenAlex
W4381612681
Cited by
3
References
3
Citations by year
2025: 3
FWCI
0.54
Type
conference paper
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
Workshop on Hot Topics in Operating Systems (publishedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • National Science Foundation (2124184)
  • Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (HR001120C0191)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Hardware and Architecture › Parallel Computing and Optimization Techniques
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Logic, programming, and type systems
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Networks and Communications › Software System Performance and Reliability
Keywords
shell scripts, out-of-order execution, compiler optimization, adverse effects

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