Bash (Unix shell)

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Unix shell and command language

Bash

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Other names
Original author(s)	Brian Fox
Developer(s)	GNU Project
Initial release	1989
Repository	{{URL|example.com|optional display text}}
Written in	C
Middleware
Engine

Bash (Bourne Again SHell) is a Unix shell and command language written by Brian Fox for the GNU Project as a free software replacement for the Bourne shell. First released in 1989, it has been used widely as the default login shell for most Linux distributions and macOS.

History

Bash was developed as part of the GNU Project, which aimed to create a free software operating system. It was intended to be a free replacement for the Bourne shell (sh), which was the original Unix shell written by Stephen Bourne. The name "Bash" is a recursive acronym for "Bourne Again SHell," a play on words that signifies its goal of improving upon the Bourne shell.

Features

Bash incorporates features from the Bourne shell as well as the C shell (csh) and the KornShell (ksh). Some of its notable features include:

• Command-line editing
• Unlimited command history
• Job control
• Shell functions and aliases
• Indexed arrays of unlimited size
• Integer arithmetic in any base from two to sixty-four

Scripting

Bash is also a powerful scripting language, allowing users to write scripts to automate tasks. Bash scripts can include control structures such as loops and conditionals, functions, and variables. They are commonly used for system administration tasks, such as backups and file management.

Usage

Bash is the default shell on most Linux distributions and is also available on macOS. It can be installed on other Unix-like systems and even on Microsoft Windows through the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).

Related Pages

• Unix shell
• GNU Project
• Linux
• macOS
• Command-line interface
• Bourne shell
• C shell
• KornShell
• Windows Subsystem for Linux

See Also

• List of Unix commands
• Shell script
• Terminal emulator
• Z shell