: Macos which shell Nov 27, 2025 · The shell is the command-line interface (CLI) and interpreter for the set of commands used to interact with the operating system. Perfect for beginners and experienced users alike. This is the guide for the ultimate setup of macOS terminal / console / shell using zsh and other tools you can benefit from. While shell scripts can be used for more complex tasks, they are usually not the best choice. Get started with Terminal on Mac Terminal is an app you use to perform tasks using a command line interface (CLI) in macOS. 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. Apple also added dash (but not zsh) to the Recovery system in macOS Catalina. In the first two posts, we explored what happens when you launch scripts from Terminal. Zsh (Z shell) and bash (Bourne-again Shell) are the two options for Mac's default shell. bash, ksh, and zsh are compatible with sh, the original Bourne shell. See Reading UNIX Manual Pages on the Apple Latest macOS now using zsh as the default shell, though many users still work with bash. Discover how to download a bash terminal for mac os and enhance your coding journey. You can get Unix like shell (that macOS also uses) on Windows. Sep 10, 2025 · Explains how to configure and enable Apple MacOS X (macOS) Terminal to have colorful ls command colorized output for bash shell permanently. But for older versions of Mac OS X, and because app bundles aren't designed to be passed command line arguments, the conventional mechanism is to use Apple Events for files like here for Cocoa apps or here for Carbon apps. Apr 12, 2020 · Bash? Zsh? Which Shell to use in macOS Catalina What is a shell, and what does it have to do with macOS Catalina Introduction So, I'm learning Flutter now, trough the App Brewery's course Nov 15, 2018 · By Chiamaka Ikeanyi Sometimes, using the default terminal sucks. This tutorial will help you for switching between Zsh and Bash on macOS systems. Jul 29, 2025 · A shell is a Command-Line Interface program that acts as an intermediary between the user and the operating systems in the sense that it parses and sends commands from the user to the operating system, and vise versa. If they're tied to Linux-only functionality, they'll fail. In this post we are going to explore… For those that love the command-line, here's some of the best terminal emulators available for Mac, including free and paid options. I recently went to an Apple store and tried to open a shell to try it out. The DEFAULT shell on most unix like OSs is indeed bash. Jun 24, 2020 · Enter dash Probably not coincidentally, Apple added the dash shell in Catalina. In this comprehensive 2800+ word […] Sep 29, 2009 · To do this using the Mac OS X GUI: Open “System Preferences. The book covers the new default shell zsh, but also bash,… Sep 15, 2020 · On macOS, the terminal is our "hardware" for the shell, so the tool where our shell software can run. You can change the shell that new Terminal windows and tabs open with. Enhance your productivity with automation and streamline your workflows with our easy-to-follow instructions. There are several types of shells available, with Bash and Zsh being the most popular in Unix-like operating systems, including macOS. In the past, the bash-shell was the standard, nowadays being replaced by the z-shell (zsh) which we'll also use in this tutorial. ) However, the open command can do so much more. Jan 22, 2021 · Every Mac comes with a Unix shell that provides a command line interface. . Learn how to use Terminal on your Mac to interact with macOS using the command line. Z shell (Zsh) is a Unix shell built on top of bash (the default shell for macOS) wi Feb 15, 2023 · If you’ve just upgraded macOS and seen a message that says, 'The default interactive shell is now zsh', we’ll tell you why and what to do about it. will open the current working directory in a Finder window. While macOS ships with the reliable bash shell, Zsh offers advanced functionality and customization options that make it worth upgrading to. Mac OS X has different commands from those found on Linux. Of note, this location is If you want to know the list of available shells on your macOS (Catalina, Mojave, Big Sur) you can try the command cat /etc/shells, this will print list of all shells that are available, 15 I have never used a Mac before. 33 @Michael Durrant's answer ably covers the shell itself, but the shell environment also includes the various commands you use in the shell and these are going to be similar -- but not identical -- between OS X and linux. The Debian Almquist Shell (dash) is a minimal implementation of the Posix sh standard and commonly used on other UNIX and Unix-like systems as a stand-in for sh. The shells supplied by Apple are often years out of date, so many people prefer to install the latest bash shell using homebrew. This comprehensive guide will walk you through configuring environment variables, managing shell profiles, and setting up aliases for optimal productivity. sh to my_shell_script. 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. Execute commands and run tools in Terminal on Mac You can use the command-line environment interactively by typing a command and waiting for a result, or you can use the shell to compose scripts that run without direct interaction. 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. You could also probably do something kludgey by passing parameters in using environment variables. Double click on a script to run In macOS, there is a default file association between . By default, it is set to use your login shell, but it looks like you've overridden it to use Bash. You can use WSL2, Cygwin or other ports of Unix userland to Windows and you will be able to use same commands as on Mac. Boost your productivity today! May 18, 2023 · Our Mac Terminal Commands Guide features a comprehensive list of macOS commands alongside a downloadable PDF cheat sheet for easy reference. Macs running macOS 10. Jan 13, 2020 · Install the latest Bash shell on macOS with Homebrew and make it your default shell. 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". You want to go out of the ordinary, to add life to the boring terminal and improve your productivity. Mar 10, 2014 · Shell scripting is generally considered to be a glue language, ideal for creating small pieces of code that connect other tools together. But that’s not to say Zsh Jan 13, 2022 · For instance, login shells are sometimes invoked under a different name (-zsh instead of zsh is frequently used), and if you invoke a shell via a symlink, $0 contains that symlink path. Mar 21, 2012 · Note this changes the default shell used by Terminal app, which is different from the default login shell, that is changed through the following step instead… Change a User Default Login Shell in Mac OS X You can also change the default shell through the command line itself using the chsh command, which is shorthand for ‘change shell’. Developers have been able to come up with several major shells compatible with all Get started with Terminal on Mac Terminal is an app you use to perform tasks using a command line interface (CLI) in macOS. Jun 21, 2025 · Setting up your macOS shell environment properly is crucial for an efficient development workflow. At the prompt, type echo $0 Change the default shell in Terminal on Mac The default shell is zsh. To change your default shell from Zsh to Bash, simply run the "chsh -s /bin/bash" command in Terminal and reopen it. 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. " This is the book that helps you get comfortable with Terminal and shell on macOS. Also, out of the box bash on MacOS is older than s**t and doesn't have many of the modern things that a current version has. Learn to create, execute, and debug shell scripts effectively. [1] Terminal originated in NeXTSTEP and OPENSTEP, the predecessor operating systems of macOS. In this step-by-step guide, we will walk you through the process of installing PowerShell on your macOS device. Dec 6, 2023 · Shell scripts are easier to run on macOS compared to Windows because macOS is based on UNIX, much like a Linux system. In macOS Catalina the default shell was changed to zsh and in time this page may be updated to include the zsh variants. Similarly, /bin/sh is a hard link to bash, which also reverts to traditional behavior when Jun 4, 2019 · Starting with macOS Catalina, Macs will now use zsh as the default login shell and interactive shell across the operating system. You run a shell script to perform commands you might otherwise enter at the command line. , Zsh, Bash) and graphical user interface (GUI) applications. Mar 4, 2025 · This tutorial provides a comprehensive guide on how to run shell scripts on macOS. A shell script is a text file that contains one or more UNIX commands. When tcsh is invoked through the csh link, it behaves much like csh. If you’d like to use zsh as the default shell in Terminal for Mac OS rather than bash, you can do so rather easily with taking the following steps: Feb 16, 2017 · You can learn more about using Terminal and the shell on macOS in my my book: “ macOS Terminal and Shell ” — Thank you! Most Terminal users will know that $ open . ” Open the “Accounts”/“Users & Groups” preference pane and unlock the preference pane if applicable. If your shell scripts use portable commands portably, you should be OK. Dec 29, 2018 · Zsh, or z shell, is a popular shell alternative to bash and tcsh, complete with many improvements and customization options offered through the Oh-My-ZSH project. See full list on moncefbelyamani. Of course, no matter what version of macOS you’re using, you can . It also doesn't have features such as the /proc file system that Linux has. Jun 30, 2021 · Foreign to Mac Terminal? Check out these essential macOS Terminal commands to use your Mac more efficiently. 15 and later use Zsh by default. 4 days ago · If you’re switching from Windows to Mac OS X, you may notice a key difference: Windows offers a unified, GUI-driven method to manage environment variables, while Mac OS X splits this responsibility between terminal shells (e. g. Zsh is an extension of bash, so you get all the benefits available in the latter, plus more. May 15, 2023 · Check out how to make your terminal look better and be more productive. But, I was not able to open a shell - no shortcut for it, not right-click-menu entry, nothing. Alternatively, you can change the default shell graphically in System Settings under Users & Groups by Ctrl-Clicking your profile picture and selecting "Advanced May 1, 2018 · The next time you need to work with the shells in macOS, this should give you a guide as to where to start. iTerm2 The first Terminal on this list is iTerm2. `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. To scroll this page, press [ a – z ] on the keyboard, or ' \ ' to Search. It provides a user interface for executing commands, scripts, and programs. macOS's Terminal allows you to specify the shell in its preferences. Feb 11, 2024 · Introduction PowerShell is a powerful command-line shell and scripting language developed by Microsoft. command then you will be able to just double click the icon in the Mac finder to execute the script. Are you looking to enhance your terminal and command-line workflow on Mac? Then setting Zsh as the default shell is an impactful upgrade. Explore the basics, creation process, and functionality of Shell Scripts in macOS. Terminal is the terminal emulator included in the macOS operating system by Apple. It covers an overview of both shells, the steps for setting them up, Aug 29, 2023 · Apple now uses Zsh as the default shell on macOS, but the old Bash shell is still included and easily switchable. Mar 26, 2024 · With macOS Catalina, Apple switched from using bash as the default terminal shell to Zsh. Open the Terminal application on your Mac. Originally designed for Windows, PowerShell is now available for macOS as well. What shell is your Mac using? There’s an easy way to tell — here’s how. command files and the terminal, so if you rename a shell script from a more conventional my_shell_script. We already explored some concepts such as the shell environment and how that affects scripts. Adjusting the bash prompt is a straightforward process that enhances productivity by making the terminal interface more aligned with your preferences. [2] As a terminal emulator, the application provides text-based access to the operating system, in contrast to the mostly graphical nature of the user experience of macOS, by providing a command-line interface to the Mar 24, 2022 · Learn the basics of Mac shell scripting, including how to create and run a script, and review the common macOS shell commands, examples, and best practices 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. Contribute to microsoft/shell-intune-samples development by creating an account on GitHub. Sample shell scripts for Intune admins. Sep 25, 2009 · This command works across all unix platforms, whether it’s Mac OS X, Linux, FreeBSD, or whatever, and it’s always reported back the same. 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. Before that, Macs used the Bash shell by default. It depends on the macOS versions you're running. From managing files and directories to troubleshooting Aug 19, 2025 · Learn how to create and utilize macOS Shell Scripts efficiently. This allows the shell environment to be set up properly with your preferences, and so that the tools you depend on are ready to use. 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. Navigate the world of command lines effortlessly. How do you open a shell on a Mac? Does it even have a shell? I was assuming as Mac is a descendant of Unix, there would be something similar. 1. It’s a free-fantastic Terminal for Mac, as it auto-completes the commands, supports multiple profiles, provides you with the ability to perform high-end customizations and more. To learn more about commands, you can use the Terminal app to read the documentation for low-level UNIX tools and APIs. (You, dear wonderful reader, know this because you read my previous post on Terminal-Finder Interaction. 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. Since macOS Catalina, Apple has made Zsh the default shell, replacing Bash. The following examples show some ways to use these commands, but for complete information about them, see the shutdown command man page and the systemsetup command man page. Mac OS X comes with the Bourne Again SHell (bash) as the default user shell and also includes the TENEX C shell (tcsh), the Korn shell (ksh), and the Z shell (zsh). On macOS Mojave and earlier, the default shell is bash, however, Apple switched from zsh to bash since macOS Catalina partly Jun 4, 2019 · Starting with macOS Catalina, Macs will now use zsh as the default login shell and interactive shell across the operating system. For the vast majority of Mac OS X users, you will be using the Bash shell by default, which is both the standard in all recent versions of OS X and also one of the easier to use shells out there. Jan 8, 2025 · 11 Best Terminal For Mac Here are the Best alternative Terminal Emulators for macOS. You can use VMWare or similar systems to run Linux in a guest o/s on Mac OS X. Folders Apr 27, 2022 · In this series of posts, I am exploring the various different ways of launching scripts on macOS. It represents an operating system’s interactive interface and the kernel’s outermost layer. Jan 10, 2025 · What is a Shell? A shell is a command-line interpreter that allows users to interact with the operating system. On the user you wish to change the shell, control +click or right click on the user and choose “Advanced Options…” Where it says “Login Shell:” change this to the shell you wish to use. May 2, 2022 · What shell is being used is an option for both MacOS and Linux. Restart computers using Terminal on Mac To restart a computer now or at a specific time using Terminal, you can use the shutdown command or the systemsetup command. com Apr 28, 2016 · That being said, do you know if tcsh (or any shell for that matter) is running in some sort of "emulated" state when I use tcsh to switch from the default bash rather than changing the default shell in the Terminal preferences to tcsh (or some other installed shell)? Apr 26, 2025 · The latest macOS systems comes with Z Shell (Zsh) as default shell, but who still preferred to use bash can still use it by switching the default shell. Each shell supports a configuration file in your macOS Home folder that gets read every time you open a new terminal window (or tab).

Macos which shell. iTerm2 The first Terminal on this list is iTerm2.