technifyed

Systems and Cloud · Linux

Build a simple shell

Write a command-line shell that runs programs, handles pipes and redirects output.

  • DifficultyAdvanced
  • Estimated time1–2 weeks
  • Budget₹0
  • ClassCollege, years 2–4
  • TeamSolo
  • You needComputer only

Prerequisites: None beyond your class work

Original · by TechnifyedPortfolio ProjectSoftware ProjectFree to doComputer onlyPortfolio focused

My projects

Overview

Write a command-line shell that runs programs, handles pipes and redirects output.

Skills you will use

PipesProcess creationSignal handling

Materials and tools

  • A Linux machine or virtual machine
  • A C compiler

Tools and software

CLinux

Expected cost₹0Nothing to buy
Estimated duration1–2 weeks6 build steps, plus the report

Step-by-step roadmap

  1. Start

    You will finish with: a working shell with a README of supported features.

  2. 1

    Prerequisites

    Nothing special to know first. Then collect the 2 items in the materials list.

  3. 2

    Learn

    Read up on linux: processes, shell, system calls. Your textbook chapter and one short video are enough.

  4. 3

    Plan

    List the features for version one, sketch the screens or data flow and pick the tools. Keep the first version small.

  5. 4

    Build

    1. Read a line and split it into a command and arguments.
    2. Fork and execute the command, then wait for it.
    3. Add built-ins such as cd and exit.
    4. Add input and output redirection.
    5. Add pipes between two commands.
    6. Handle Ctrl+C without killing the shell.
  6. 5

    Test

    Try it with wrong, empty and unusual input, and ask someone else to use it without your help.

  7. 6

    Document

    Write a README: what it does, how to run it, screenshots and what you learned. Report structure

  8. 7

    Present

    Show a live demo of one complete task, then the design and the hardest problem you solved. Presentation structure

  9. 8

    Publish

    Put the code on GitHub with the README and, if you can, deploy a live demo.

Expected outcome

A working shell with a README of supported features.

Other versions of this project

Advanced version

Add background jobs and command history.

Ways to do this project

Text marked "You write this" is a prompt for your own work; everything else is specific to this project.

Research question
You write thisOne question you can answer with data, narrow enough to finish in the time you have.
Hypothesis
You write thisWhat you expect to find, and why.
Variables
You write thisWhat you change or compare, what you measure, and what you hold constant.
Methodology
You write thisDescribe the method in enough detail that someone else could repeat it: sample, tools, procedure.
Data collection
You write thisSay what you will record, how many times, and how you will keep the records safe.
Analysis
You write thisChoose the table, chart or test that answers the question; report averages with their spread.
Limitations
You write thisList what could have affected the result: small sample, instrument limits, things you could not control.

Literature review

Find five to eight sources (your textbook, review articles, reports) and note what each says about your question. Group them by idea, not one after another, and end with what is still not known.

References

List every source you used in one style throughout (author, year, title, where it was published, link and the date you opened it).

Report and presentation

Report structure

  1. Title and summary
  2. Problem and target user
  3. Features
  4. Tools and technology
  5. Design: architecture, data model or screens
  6. Implementation
  7. Testing
  8. Results and screenshots
  9. Challenges
  10. Future improvements
  11. References

Presentation structure

  1. The problem
  2. Who it is for
  3. Live demo
  4. How it is built (one diagram)
  5. The hardest part
  6. Testing and results
  7. What you learned
  8. What comes next

Viva questions

Prepare your own answers to these before you present.

  • What is the aim of your project, in one sentence?
  • What is the principle behind it?
  • Why did you choose these materials or tools?
  • What result did you get, and was it what you expected?
  • What went wrong and how did you fix it?
  • How could this be improved or used in real life?

Source and attribution

Original

Written by Technifyed. Free to use for your own school or college project; write the report in your own words. Added 1 Oct 2026.

Similar projects

More Systems and Cloud projects

Systems and Cloud · System Design

Design the architecture of a food-delivery app

Design a system for orders, restaurants and delivery partners and justify each choice with numbers.

  • Advanced
  • 1–2 weeks
  • Free
Case Study · Computer onlyView

Systems and Cloud · Containers

Containerise an application with Docker

Package one of your own apps and its database so anyone can run it with one command.

  • Intermediate
  • 2–7 days
  • Free
Software Project · Computer onlyView

Systems and Cloud · Networking

Build a chat system on raw sockets

Write a server and client that exchange messages over TCP with several users.

  • Intermediate
  • 2–7 days
  • Free
Software Project · Computer onlyView

Same tools

Cybersecurity · Digital Forensics

Recover deleted files from a test drive

Delete files on a spare USB drive, image it and see what can be recovered and why.

  • Intermediate
  • 2–7 days
  • Free
Investigation · Computer onlyView

Systems and Cloud + Robotics, IoT and Hardware

Set up a web server on a Raspberry Pi

Turn a Raspberry Pi into a home web server that hosts your own site on the local network.

  • Intermediate
  • 2–7 days
  • 2,500–5,000
Hardware Project · Raspberry Pi requiredView

Programming · C

Build a student marks manager in C

Store student records in a file, calculate totals and grades, and print a ranked report.

  • Easy
  • 2–7 days
  • Free
Software Project · Computer onlyView

Two-subject alternatives

Programming + Systems and Cloud

Build a tiny key-value store in Rust

Write a persistent key-value database with get, set and delete and an append-only log.

  • Advanced
  • 2–4 weeks
  • Free
Software Project · Computer onlyView

Computer Engineering + Systems and Cloud

Design a simple processor in a logic simulator

Build an 8-bit processor with an ALU, registers and a control unit, and run a small program on it.

  • Advanced
  • 1–3 months
  • Free
Simulation · Computer onlyView

Cybersecurity + Systems and Cloud

Analyse your own home network traffic

Capture traffic on your own computer and identify which protocols and services it talks to.

  • Intermediate
  • 2–7 days
  • Free
Investigation · Computer onlyView

Same difficulty and budget

Artificial Intelligence · Machine Learning

Compare machine-learning models on one dataset

Evaluate five classifiers on the same public dataset with cross-validation and report the differences properly.

  • Advanced
  • 1–2 weeks
  • Free
AI/ML Project · Computer onlyView

Data · Big Data

Analyse a large open dataset with SQL

Load a multi-million-row public dataset and answer ten business questions with efficient queries.

  • Advanced
  • 1–2 weeks
  • Free
Data Analysis · Computer onlyView

Artificial Intelligence · Time-Series

Detect anomalies in sensor data

Flag unusual readings in a temperature or power series using rolling statistics.

  • Advanced
  • 1–2 weeks
  • Free
AI/ML Project · Computer onlyView

Enter your email and the official page opens. Phone is optional.