I tried to learn shell(bash) scripting few times but was driven away by the syntax. Then I found Python and was able to do most of the things a shell script can do in Python. I am now not sure whether I should invest my time in learning shell scripting anymore. So I want to ask:
What are strengths of shell scripting that make it an indispensable tool as compared to Python?
I am not a system administration by profession, but I am interested in setting up Linux systems for home users, hence I think learning shell scripting can become necessary.
The shell makes common and simple actions really simple, at the expense of making more complex things much much more complex.
Typically, a small shell script will be shorter and simpler than the corresponding python program, but the python program will tend to gracefully accept modifications, whereas the shell script will tend to get less and less maintainable as code is added.
This has the consequence that for optimal day-to-day productivity you need shell-scripting, but you should use it mostly for throwaway scripts, and use python everywhere else.
Strengths of Shell Scripting compared to Python