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Even the experts know there is always more to learn about scripting. In this month's cover story, we'll show you the Google Maps API, a networking framework for Python, and some other fine tools.

In the old days, shells were capable of little more than calling external programs and executing basic, internal commands. With all the bells and whistles in the latest versions of Bash, however, you hardly need the support of external tools.

Wget downloads files and even whole websites from the command line.

A short command is all it takes to pack your data or extract it from an archive.

The ls command lists files at the command line and gives you many useful details about file properties. With or without colors, this command keeps you on top of your files.

A new background image is the quickest way to liven up your desktop. Tools such as Zufall and genbg help you change your wallpaper auto matically.

Working with a text editor can be difficult if you need to handle frequently recurring tasks or multiple files. sed can save a lot of typing.