The recent introduction of the 'script' library for Go has ignited a passionate discussion about the future of system administration tools and shell scripting. This Go library aims to simplify common shell script operations, but its release has revealed deeper tensions between traditional shell scripting and modern programming approaches.
The Shell Scripting Dilemma
The community's response highlights a fundamental divide in system administration approaches. Traditional shell scripting offers unmatched flexibility and immediate utility, while modern programming languages promise better maintainability and error handling. Many developers argue that shell scripting's strength lies in its ability to quickly coordinate existing tools rather than reinventing them.
A programmer would solve a problem by taking 6 weeks to design a perfect program to do the thing. A Sysadmin would take 5 minutes with a shitty language and a shitty tool and get way more done in less time.
Code Verbosity Trade-offs
Real-world experiences shared by developers reveal interesting metrics about transitioning from shell scripts to Go. One developer reported that rewriting a 500-line shell script in Go resulted in approximately 5,000 lines of code. While the Go version offered better user experience, error handling, and maintainability, the increased verbosity raises questions about when such transitions are justified.
The Middle Ground
The discussion reveals an emerging consensus that there might be a sweet spot for different tools. Simple, quick tasks remain the domain of shell scripts, while more complex operations requiring robust error handling and maintainability might benefit from Go's structured approach. Some developers suggest that Perl or Python might offer a better compromise for scripts that outgrow shell but don't warrant a full Go implementation.
Key Unix/Shell to Script Library Equivalents:
- cat → File / Concat
- grep → Match / MatchRegexp
- find → FindFiles
- sed → Replace / ReplaceRegexp
- wc -l → CountLines
Cross-platform Considerations
An often-overlooked advantage of Go in this context is its ability to produce statically-linked binaries, enabling easy distribution across different platforms. However, this benefit comes with its own controversies, as some developers argue that POSIX-compatible shell scripts already provide sufficient cross-platform functionality without the complexity of compiled binaries.
The debate ultimately reflects a broader discussion about the evolution of system administration tools and the balance between immediate productivity and long-term maintainability in modern development environments.
Reference: What is script?