What is the Shell?

[madHatter1]

Hello

I have a 'simple' question about the Shell. What exactly is it? What does it do? Where does it fit in in the general architectural scheme of things in Windows (98), and
why do hackers always talk about it?

Many thanks

Hatter

 

[dkdude]

Hatter,

The shell is a command enterpreter that you run to type in commands/communicate with the system.

In Win9x/ME the (command) shell is command.com

In WinNT/2k/XP the default shell is cmd.exe, but you can also run command.com

You can start a (or even multiple) shells by clicking run => [tt]command[/tt] in your start menu. You can even start a new shell from a shell by typing [tt]command[/tt].

Hackers talk about it because you have (in case Win9x : FULL) control over the system from the shell. In OS'es like Linux/unix restrictions apply, hence making the system far safer (in many cases completely safe) than Windows will ever be.

Hope this will shed some light on shells.... §;O)

Good Luck


Jakob

 

[TekTippy4U]

I agree w dkdude, but with a few mods...
The way I like to think of it is
In windows, the shell is really explorer.exe, which has control turned over to it, in protected mode, from DOS's command.com.
Explorer.exe=32bit protected mode GUI(graphical User interface)shell
Command.com=16bit real-mode shell

Yet a real-mode shell can be run from a protected mode shell , not vice-versa though....(i think)..... as in the case of a DOS box(Ms-dos prompt).....as opposed to DOS MODE(Command Prompt Only)

And I like to think of it as an Egg "shell"(an outer protective layer, within lies the yolk/good stuff)...(the stuff worth getting at, from a hacker's POV)

and also the shell can be considered as encompassing the "local machine OS"...or "client machine" as in having "control" over what's inside...
Client machines don't even need a HDD to run.....just an OS (for control)and network(from which to access devices and data)..
The shell controls the OS and Programs/Apps.....
All the other devices (CDROM/Printer/DVD/Floppy/USB)can be controlled by the shell or denied access....this is kinda where User level comes in to mingle....and so on, down to the Kernel mode which i guess is really the engine of the OS, so to speak.....

It's just my simplistic explanation.....the silly way i've come to understand it, without a webpeodian definition....


TT4U

Notification:
These are just "my" thoughts....and should be carefully measured against other opinions....I try very hard to impart correct info at all times.

 

[madHatter1]

Many thanks for your explanations. I have a better idea of it now. I tend to think that the shell is a sort of case with the engine room inside it, and if you are the one carrying the case, it esssentially give you ownership of its contents.

Thanks again

Hatter

 

[mattjurado]

Pretty much, and Microsoft borrows stuff for their shell scripting from Perl, Rexx, and several other languages, so it is easy to find ways to "have fun" in those scripting languages, and turn around and nail windows.

Matt J.