[npteljes]

For sure. It's decades of legacy, many different versions, footguns and caveats everywhere. I personally like to tinker with it, but I also have to look up basic things like "how to write a for loop" or "how to compare numbers" constantly.

[DEADMINCE]

That doesn't mean shell scripts are arcane, it just means you don't write shell scripts often enough.

[npteljes]

I think it's both.

[DEADMINCE]

It's not. Shell scripts are still very much actively used and developed.

[klysm]

That doesn’t make them not arcane

[DEADMINCE]

Yes, it does. By definition.

[npteljes]

Here is the usage of arcane that I think is apt when talking about shell scripting:

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/arcane

" known or understood by very few; mysterious; secret; obscure; esoteric "

And as an example for something arcane, the Sanskrit language is brought up. I think this is a perfect example to compare with shell scripting. Sanskrit is from an era where it was more common, but nowadays it's usage is more of a specialty. The rules are understood and public, easily accessible technically, but it's hard work to get good at it. Since it has a long history, it has many variants, both over time, and depending on locality. There is a kind of common form of it that people can use for everyday matters, that is much easier than knowing all of the rules and cases.

I think it's a good argument that shell scripting is arcane, even by investigating the definition of it. Not to mention that in the original post, it was just postulated that shell scripting is a bit weird, and maybe not the best tool for the job, a kind of a lighthearted jab at the language, and at the practices people sometimes do.