Macos bash. Choose Terminal > Settings, then click General.

Macos bash Aug 29, 2023 · Apple now uses Zsh as the default shell on macOS, but the old Bash shell is still included and easily switchable. Dec 6, 2023 · sh test_script. A shell script is a text file that contains one or more UNIX commands. Dec 29, 2021 · I typically use the bash shell on Linux servers, so I prefer using it on my Mac. Bash automatically assigns default values to a number of variables, which are listed below. On macOS, the default shell is Zsh, introduced in macOS Catalina. Jun 29, 2025 · A quick post on how to install bash on macOS to replace zsh. Bash is the same on both linux and macOS. Bash (Linux) and Z Shell (Zsh) (macOS) are the default languages used to run commands on the Terminal. If you don't have one you can create one. Go to the Terminal app on your Mac. 2, 2006 year) and (for myself, at least) mostly useless. What is it? I'm a little worried that it's something that shouldn't be there. You run a shell script to perform commands you might otherwise enter at the command line. However, it is highly recommended to use a newer version of Bash on macOS, because it enables you to use useful new features. Most linux distributions these days are shipping with 4. Installing bash on macOS To install bash on macOS, you can use Homebrew, a popular package manager for macOS. To access a Unix "shell prompt" on macOS, you need to use the Terminal application that is in your Mac's Applications/Utilities folder: Unless you are running an older version of macOS, when you launch the Terminal app you will see a prompt that looks like this (though probably with a smaller font, white background and black text): In the window above, I've entered a command that shows us what Mar 4, 2020 · step-by-step guide to upgrading the version of bash that runs on your Mac. Since these files are hidden you will have to do an ls -a to list them. It is intended to conform to the IEEE POSIX P1003. Homebrew Cask installs macOS apps, fonts and plugins and other non-open source software. This variable allows you to display different pieces of Feb 9, 2023 · If you are using macOS and have recently encountered the “command not found” error in your Terminal window, this article will help you troubleshoot the problem. zshrc or . In a networked environment, a system administrator can specify the default shell. You should be able to see the export blah blah blah in file . While macOS ships with the reliable bash shell, Zsh offers advanced functionality and customization options that make it worth upgrading to. This guide simplifies the process with clear, actionable steps. Converting your existing bash scripts and workflows to zsh, sh, or bash v5 is an important first step. But Catalina replaced it with zsh. 2/ISO 9945. Apple includes a bash install with macOS, it's just an older version (tl;dr Apple doesn't want to deal with GPLv3 licensing and therefore switched to zsh by default rather than bundle newer versions of bash). zshrc (or open your shell configuration in different editor) Jan 13, 2019 · One thing that many macOS users don’t know is that they are using a completely outdated version of the Bash shell. Jun 8, 2019 · This is not an exhaustive list! Main differences for interactive use Configuration files: bash reads (mainly) . 2. Apr 25, 2025 · Starting with macOS Catalina, Apple ditched Bash as the default shell and gave Zsh the crown. Discover how to download a bash terminal for mac os and enhance your coding journey. profile, since Mac OS X is a branch of the *BSD family. On macOS, however, Git Bash isn’t necessary because macOS already has a Unix-based terminal that supports Git commands natively. Discover what is bash on mac and unlock powerful command line skills. I also have its icon, but titled "Terminal," in my toolbar. zprofile (in login To be clear: to set up Homebrew, you do not need to install bash manually or anything. Sep 26, 2020 · MacOS comes with an outdated version Bash which can be limiting in shell scripts. At current, version 4. While Zsh offers many modern Nov 27, 2025 · This post guide you to change the default shell from zsh to bash on Mac step by step. bash_login or . Aug 30, 2023 · 苹果现在在macOS上将Zsh作为默认的shell。我们喜欢Zsh，但可靠的旧Bash shell仍然包含在macOS中，如果你更喜欢，可以快速切换回Bash。Zsh在macOS Catalina中成为默认，并在后续版本中保持不变。 另外，Zsh 只是新创建的用户帐户上的默认 shell，因此你在升级的 Mac 上拥有的任何现有帐户仍将默认使用 Bash May 18, 2023 · Our Mac Terminal Commands Guide features a comprehensive list of macOS commands alongside a downloadable PDF cheat sheet for easy reference. zshrc (in all interactive shells) and . Bash uses certain shell variables in the same way as the Bourne shell. Jun 24, 2020 · Conclusion In Catalina Apple started warning us about the eventual demise of bash from macOS. sh/) which -a bash (outputs location of your bash installations) copy new bash location (in my case /opt/homebrew/bin/bash) nano ~/. " This is the book that helps you get comfortable with Terminal and shell on macOS. Jan 15, 2021 · Here’s how to set Bash as the default shell on your Mac: Open your Terminal application. It always turns out that Mac OS X's bash's startup files (or Mac's Bash itself) doesn't source ~/. But you also need to consider that the behavior of sh scripts will change when Apple replaces the sh interpreter. But here’s the deal—if you’re doing any real terminal work on macOS, it’s worth knowing why that switch happened and whether you should care. bash_profile, but file . 15). Next to “Shells open with,” select “Command (complete path),” then enter the complete path to the shell you want to use. inputrc. That makes id great for "what user is running my script", but not for admin duties. Intro to shell scripts in Terminal on Mac Instead of entering commands and waiting for a response, you can compose shell scripts that run without direct interaction. The older version of Bash was licensed under GPLv2, while newer versions are licensed under GPLv3. It offers functional improvements over sh for both programming and interactive use. Learn more about Configuration Profiles in my book: ‘Property Lists, Preferences and Profiles for Apple Administrators’ You can learn more about using Terminal and the shell on macOS in my my book: "macOS Terminal and Shell" — Thank you! May 11, 2021 · How to Reset a MacOS Password with Terminal via Recovery Mode This method to reset your Mac’s user password is applicable to all the recent versions of macOS, and doesn’t require to type any complicated commands in Terminal. However, many users are accustomed to using bash and may prefer to have it available on their system. Discover essential commands and tips to boost your efficiency on macOS. “To install, drag this icon…” no more. This article teaches you how to switch to Bash from Zsh on macOS using CLI and System Settings. Jul 15, 2025 · The Mac Terminal is a powerful tool that allows you to interact with your macOS system through commands, giving you more control over your device than ever before. Jan 13, 2020 · Install the latest Bash shell on macOS with Homebrew and make it your default shell. The rest of the system however, is a bit different. This guide reveals essential tips for mastering bash effortlessly. It covers an overview of both shells, the steps for setting them up, methods for transitioning between them, and tips for customizing your shell environment. Homebrew complements macOS (or your Linux system). profile once you do cat . Type the following command and press Return: Apr 26, 2025 · Bash completion is a useful functionality that allows you to auto-complete commands, filenames, and arguments within a bash shell. Apr 12, 2017 · Note: bash_profile is completely different from configuration profiles. Installing Updated Bash on macOS To access a Unix "shell prompt" on macOS, you need to use the Terminal application that is in your Mac's Applications/Utilities folder: Bash (bourne-again shell) is a UNIX command interpreter Bash is an sh-compatible shell that incorporates useful features from the Korn shell (ksh) and C shell (csh). Note that any non-source distributions are provided by third parties, and may not be up to date with the latest source release. To scroll this page, press [ a – z ] on the keyboard, or ' \ ' to Search. profile or . Changing the bash prompt involves modifying the PS1 environment variable. I have read several answers on how to set environment variables on macOS permanently. Nov 8, 2019 · Step by step for anyone who has to do it from the start: brew install bash (if you don't have homebrew, firstly install https://brew. This as Apple is migrating folks from bash to zsh, and as the installed version of bash is very old. Anything that interacts with the system will be Jul 23, 2024 · The bash_profile is a script file that runs automatically whenever you open a new Terminal window or tab in macOS. . As mentioned by others, bash is the same bash (other than the Mar 15, 2025 · 剛剛入手了最新款 Macbook Air M4, 雖然我對這部新設備的定位並不是用來開發, 但 Terminal 是必然繞不開的. This article explains how to do this. You can switch from zsh to bash on macOS Ventura, Monterey, Big Sur, and Catalina after reading. bash_profile depends on your login shell. The shells supplied by Apple are often years out of date, so many people prefer to install the latest bash shell using homebrew. This post explain how to upgrade your Bash version on Mac from the command line. Zsh reads (mainly) . This post is going to describe how to switch from the zsh shell to the bash shell. macOS's Terminal allows you to specify the shell in its preferences. Dec 27, 2023 · In this comprehensive guide, you‘ll learn: The history behind shells on Mac OSX and why Zsh became the default Key reasons for switching from Zsh to Bash Step-by-step instructions for changing shells How to customize Bash to suit your workflows Tips for avoiding issues down the road Ready to unlock the power of Bash on Mac? Let‘s get started! A Brief History of Shells on MacOS To Dec 18, 2023 · I’d suggest spending more time with zsh than with bash, if macOS is your platform. To change your shell to Bash on a Mac, you can use the following command in the Terminal: chsh -s /bin/bash Understanding Shells on macOS A shell is a program that provides an interface for users to interact with the operating system. Sep 10, 2025 · Explains how to install software update from the bash command line on Apple macOS/OS X laptop or computer. Aug 2, 2023 · Zsh replaced Bash as macOS's default terminal shell in macOS Catalina. 13 High Sierra and earlier: The default shell is bash. Whether you're a beginner exploring basic commands or an advanced user looking to streamline tasks, mastering Mac Terminal commands can significantly increase your productivity. New user accounts default to Zsh but Bash is still an option, and will probably be your shell if you created your account on an older version of macOS where Bash was the default, or you subsequently explicitly configured Bash as your shell. Shell scripts are useful because you can combine many common tasks Mar 14, 2024 · In recent versions of macOS, Apple has transitioned to using zsh (Z shell) as the default shell instead of bash. In macOS Catalina the default shell was changed to zsh and in time this page may be updated to include the zsh variants. 45 is available from Homebrew as a workaround. `Purchase on Ko-Fi ☕️ (Updated Aug 2025 for macOS Sequoia) All of my other books so far, have this sentence: "You should be comfortable with using Terminal on macOS. There are several options for installing Git on macOS. bashrc, . Choose Terminal > Settings, then click General. I don't know what version is in Mavericks, I'm not sure anybody who knows is allowed to say yet. Still, you can install additional tools to enhance your Git experience on Mac. It acts as a bridge between the user and the system’s services. While Zsh is in many ways superior to Bash, thanks to its floating-point support, hash data structures, customization options, etc. The book covers the new default shell zsh, but also bash,… Feb 13, 2021 · This article is how you can update your version of Bash on the macOS terminal, and completely get rid of the old version (something other… Dec 9, 2022 · I have been working on a bash script to have systems mount a shared SMB folder (Windows Server) to a local folder /usr/local/Installers on macOS 12. Terminal will need a restart to take effect. , there are still use cases where Bash may prove helpful in the macOS terminal. First, I tried this, How to permanently set $PATH on Linux/Unix but I had an Nov 24, 2024 · As a professional software engineer and coding instructor with over 15 years of experience, I‘ve come to master the art of customizing my terminal into a productive power tool. This saves time, increases efficiency, and enhances the user experience when working in a terminal environment. Then you can install modern bash using Homebrew or Mac Apr 16, 2016 · What do you think will happen if the shell script is written in another shell 's syntax, such as tcsh, zsh, or ksh? The suffix sh denotes a shell script not "run the script in this shell". Navigate the world of command lines effortlessly. bashrc in non-login interactive shells (but macOS starts a login shell in terminals by default), . You cannot do sudo id -un to get the name of the logged-in user (as id is more "what is the id of the user who's running the id command). Thanks in advance for any help! [Re-Titled by Moderator] The terminal prompt in macOS displays information like the username, hostname, and current directory. An indirect way would be to download it yourself, by one means or another, and instal it and Master the art of scripting as you learn how to run bash script mac effortlessly. Use zsh as the default shell on your Mac - Apple Support Apple has an (old) primer focusing on bash shell scripting available, as well: Introduction Apr 23, 2021 · Mac OS X doesn't store the path in file . Jan 27, 2025 · Learn how to improve productivity & workflows with macOS shell scripts! Whether a beginner or a seasoned MacAdmin, find out how to automate tasks & manage systems. This blog will guide you through installing and Master the art of mac bash with our concise guide. x so you'll be missing version 4 features. Bash is installed by default too, and you can set it back in two seconds. Tagged with macos, bash, homebrew, tutorial. The latest version of macOS uses Zsh as its default shell, having switched from Bash with the Catalina release in Jun 28, 2015 · Essentially Apple's Software Update would be responsible for changing the version of BASH on the system, like it did with the update to BASH for Shellshock. By default, Apple switched the default shell from Bash to Zsh (Z shell) starting with macOS Catalina (10. By default, it is set to use your login shell, but it looks like you've overridden it to use Bash. 網路上介紹 macOS 切換默認 shell 到 bash 的文章和帖子很多, 但我覺得都不太優雅, 這里就介紹我自己的方法供參考. So unless Apple provides an update then there is no direct way to update to the latest version of GNU BASH that came installed as part of OS X. From managing files and directories to troubleshooting Mar 10, 2025 · On macOS, #!/bin/bash means a script will use the system bash, which is very dated (3. Jun 8, 2023 · Missing bash shell on macOS Catalina? Here is how to set default shell to bash on the latest version of macOS Catalina/Big Sur using chsh. The reason behind the switch, among other reasons, includes avoiding licensing obligations of GPLv3 license in the modern versions of bash, enhanced security, and adding new features. This is typically set by the default bash prompt, which many users find useful but may want to customize for a more personalized or informative terminal experience. Having a slightly different version of sed and grep etc will cause you problems. When you say "learn bash" what you really mean is "learn 100 different interconnected utilities". Sep 6, 2023 · I felt comfortable using bash shell on MacOS. Shell commands will run easily and you’ll be able to use a few select Linux apps too, though macOS versions are preferable when available. I can create the folders just fine en mass to 100 clients with the bash script. Git Bash is a popular terminal application that provides a Unix-style command-line environment for Windows users to interact with Git. Install your RubyGems with gem and their dependencies with brew. Apr 26, 2025 · This tutorial will help you for switching between Zsh and Bash on macOS systems. MacOS 10. Jan 10, 2025 · How to Change the Default Shell to Bash on macOS macOS has come a long way in terms of shell usage and command-line operations. Why? Can I switch it back? If so, how? Does it make sense to do so? Any gotchas? Mar 26, 2024 · With macOS Catalina, Apple switched from using bash as the default terminal shell to Zsh. It allows you to set up customizations and defaults for your command line environment. profile file in your home directory. Why did Apple stop shipping with bash? Licenses. Feb 15, 2023 · So, I just updated my MacBook Pro last night and when I opened it today I was told that I now have something called "bash" as one of the programs that run in the background. While Zsh is a powerful and feature-rich shell, some users might prefer Bash for its simplicity, familiarity, or compatibility with existing scripts and tools Jul 8, 2013 · If it matters, bash on Mac OS X Mountain Lion is still version 3. Cue the collective sighs and confusion. profile on your terminal. 我向來不喜歡 zsh 及其任何衍生物, 作為忠誠的 bash 用戶到了 macOS 上自然也不可能改變. bash_profile in login shells, and . Whether the export should go to . Choose one of the following options for installing Git on macOS: Homebrew Install homebrew if you don't already have it, then: $ brew install git MacPorts Install MacPorts if you don't already have it, then Jan 23, 2012 · You can add an alias or a function in your startup script file. To change your default shell from Zsh to Bash, simply run the "chsh -s /bin/bash" command in Terminal and reopen it. In this comprehensive 2800+ word […] Jul 9, 2009 · This is an underrated answer. bashrc file, either in the login shell, or in a shell spawned from window system - like Terminal app in Mac OS X) Nov 30, 2021 · 272 you can try chsh -s /bin/bash to set the bash as the default, or chsh -s /bin/zsh to set the zsh as the default. Usually the startup script file is . For the purposes of these tutorials you can consider them to be the same. 2 Shell and Tools standard. sh Why shell scripts are easier to run on macOS Shell scripts are easier to run on macOS compared to Windows because macOS is based on UNIX, much like a Linux system.