Is zsh a superset of bash. The three main ones out there are Bash, Zsh, and Fish.

Is zsh a superset of bash 20 votes, 10 comments. But I have not found a great guide to switch to zsh or how May 8, 2024 · Zsh and Bash have different configuration files, so you’ll need to transfer your customizations to the appropriate Bash configuration file. It gained popularity thanks to Oh My Zsh, a community-driven framework that adds themes Discover seamless ways to switch from bash to zsh and enhance your command line experience. Oct 16, 2023 · Zsh is designed to be a superset of the Bourne shell (sh), which means that it supports all the features and syntax of the Bourne shell, including bash. This gives you the opportunity to share common settings and still use bash respectively zsh specific settings and syntax in /etc/profile respectively zprofile. It provides a way to navigate the file system, run programs, and perform various tasks from the command line. Zsh is among the most powerful freely available Bourne-like shells for interactive use. Apr 29, 2024 · Zsh, in my opinion, appears to be more efficient because it is a newer shell designed to be an extended version of Bash. Mar 23, 2023 · Zsh is designed for interactive use, it is also a powerful scripting language. Zsh just has way more features, and IMHO is easier to customize (for functionality and aesthetics) and add plugins to. Ubuntu sudo apt install zsh Debian sudo apt-get install zsh Arch Linux Arch Linux actually uses the Z Shell by Oct 31, 2025 · Zsh (Z Shell) is a superset of Bash — compatible with most Bash commands but more modern and feature-rich. Open the file and copy any aliases, exports, or other customizations you had in Zsh’s configuration file. Apr 11, 2025 · Learn the key differences between Zsh and Bash—two powerful Unix shells. Oct 26, 2022 · Since bash is a superset of the Bourne shell, most sh scripts execute in bash without any additional changes. We would like to show you a description here but the site won’t allow us. Zsh When comparing zsh vs tcsh (shell), the Slant community recommends zsh for most people. Coupled with Oh My Zsh, a community-driven Jan 11, 2021 · However, zsh has syntax for scripting different from bash, and I use a lot of ad-hoc one-liners. Because of its added capabilities over bash, apple ships macOS Catalina and higher with zsh as the default shell in its terminals. Jan 11, 2025 · The Zsh vs Bash debate boils down to their unique features, strengths, and intended use cases. In the question "What are the best Linux shells?" zsh is ranked 1st while tcsh (shell) is ranked 7th zsh is far superior to bash in several ways. Jan 11, 2025 · Z Shell (zsh) was created by Paul Falstad in 1990 while he was a student at Princeton University. Users may need to invest time in understanding its various configuration files and options. Zsh is a particularly popular alternative, and there are other shells, like ash, dash, fish, and tcsh. Cue the collective sighs and confusion. This page is powered by a knowledgeable community that helps you make an informed decision. There are execution wrappers such as bax or bass which allow to run bash scripts in fish. Dec 16, 2024 · The most common default shell on most Linux distributions is the Bourne Again SHell (Bash). But what is Zsh, and what is Bash? Both are powerful Unix shells with unique capabilities, making them popular among developers. Complex configurations, especially with numerous plugins, might also impact shell startup performance or resource usage. ) As long as you stick to sh features only, you can (and probably even should) use #!/bin/sh and the script should work fine, no matter which shell it is. If I run which bash, I get /usr/bin/bash Following this answer I have created the following script #!/usr/bin/bash echo 'Hello' The file hello is Explore the notable distinctions between Bash and SH in this insightful article. POSIX is a set of standards defining how POSIX-compliant systems should work. , git checkout auto-suggests branch names). It has specific differences in terms of scripting from Bash, but that doesn’t pose a problem. sh? Spoiler: For me, it’s mainly two reasons. As such, there is no “native” way of running something like nvm for instance. It's easy to write pipelines, loops, command subs, etc because I'm used to bash already from script-writing. It covers an overview of both shells, the steps for setting them up, Nov 21, 2023 · I want to run a script written for bash in zsh. But Zsh has been gaining popularity over the last several years as an alternative shell. Zsh in itself is also a compelling scripting language. Zsh shell command languages, explore their differences, and see how to use both successfully. Learn which shell aligns with your command-line needs in this comprehensive comparison. The feature-rich shell borrows ideas from ksh and tcsh to create a well-built and usable alternative. Mar 12, 2024 · Here in this article, we are going to differentiate between the two most popular shells bash and zsh. May 12, 2025 · The command-line shell is an essential tool for interacting with the operating system, allowing users to execute commands, automate tasks, and run scripts efficiently. Dive into the Unix-like systems withGetting Started with Zsh and Oh My Zsh: A Beginner's Guide As you embark on your journey through the world of Unix-like operating systems, you'll likely encounter various types of shells. Since Catalina. Zsh is more or less a superset of bash If you already know how to use bash, then congratulations, pretty much everything you know from bash still works in zsh. For example, echo 'qwe\tasd' expands the \t to tab in zsh but not in bash. Z Shell (zsh) The Z shell (zsh) is a Unix shell created as an extension for the Bourne shell in the early 1990s. A Unix shell is a command-line interface (CLI) that allows users to interact with the operating system and execute commands. Created by the GNU Project. Jul 20, 2014 · Apple switched the default in Mac OS X from tcsh to Bash in 2003 for version 10. Reply reply More replies spizzike • Aug 19, 2023 · What is Zsh? Zsh, also called Z shell, is a UNIX shell that is built on top of the Bourne shell (macOS default shell), more commonly know as bash. The question is about zsh, not bash. One particularly powerful shell that has gained immense popularity among developers and system administrators is Zsh (Z Shell). 6 days ago · Zsh, released in 1990, is a Bash superset with enhancements like: Smarter Autocompletion: Suggests commands, file paths, and even command options (e. 15 (Catalina) — that they switched away from Bash to zsh, which differs in many ways, but not in being broadly POSIX-compatible. This site provides an index to Zsh information and archives. Choosing Your Command Line Superpower!🚀 Lost in a sea of sh, bash, zsh? Your shell isn't just a terminal; it's your command-line superpower! Choosing the right one can dramatically boost your Discover what are bash and zsh in this concise guide. You can read the original post here. Apr 1, 2016 · I'm pretty comfortable with bash, but recently I ended up in a substitution I didn't know. May 21, 2025 · Bash strictly adheres to POSIX standards, which ensures broad compatibility across Unix-like systems. Many useful features of Bash, Ksh, and Tcsh have been incorporated into Zsh. But what's the difference, and why are there so many? What Do Shells Do? When you sign in at the command line or launch a terminal window on Linux, the system launches the shell Nov 11, 2021 · Installing oh-my-zsh From this point, your Git Bash will behave essentially like a Unix Zsh shell. (bash isn't quite a POSIX superset either, the primary place where it's out-of The list of available Zsh options is not a strict superset of Bash options; for example, cdspell is a Bash option but not a Zsh option. Aug 15, 2017 · Generally, this is spot on. Nov 26, 2024 · While Zsh is not completely compatible with Bash, it shares some similar functionalities and features with Bash. Some other ideas were borrowed from the C shell, its successor tcsh, and the Korn Shell. Oct 28, 2023 · Why Compare Bash and Zsh? Before we dive in, let‘s briefly go over why you‘d even want to compare Bash and Zsh. Learn to utilize themes, plugins, and advanced features for enhanced productivity. ZSH has Nov 26, 2024 · While Zsh is not completely compatible with Bash, it shares some similar functionalities and features with Bash. I'm not sure if it's a strict superset though. As you probably know, Bash is the default shell included on most Linux distributions. Sep 29, 2023 · Explore the differences between Zsh and Bash, two powerful command-line shells. 9) site known to have current release (5. Oh My Zsh is a popular open-source Zsh configuration framework loved by developers worldwide. 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. While Bash is a robust, reliable shell widely used for scripting and basic command-line tasks, Zsh takes things further with modern enhancements, customizability, and interactivity. Dec 28, 2022 · What is a Unix Shell? Before we dive into the specifics of zsh and bash, it’s essential to understand precisely what a Unix shell is and how it works. The Zsh documentation is pretty nice Based on Rexx Programmer's Reference and Bash Reference Manual version 5. While there are various shell options available, Bash, Zsh, and Fish stand out as the most popular choices, each offering a unique set of features, making it crucial to understand their differences in order to select the right Oct 26, 2017 · Difference between bash,ksh,tcsh and zsh Asked 8 years, 1 month ago Modified 7 years, 8 months ago Viewed 2k times 🙃 A delightful community-driven (with 2,400+ contributors) framework for managing your zsh configuration. The changes they made do make for a cleaner language, but it's a new language nonetheless. The Z Shell (zsh), created in the early 1990s by Paul Falstad, was designed as a highly customizable and extended shell, incorporating the best features of other shells like csh, ksh, and bash. Open up a terminal window and enter the command to get it working on your distribution. Luckily, as Zsh is one of the most well-known Bash alternatives, getting it is no problem. Dec 27, 2023 · $ echo $0 zsh This is a handy one-liner to instantly know your present shell! Find The Full Shell Executable Path While $0 prints the base name, you can use the which command to get the full path to the Bash or Zsh executables: $ which bash /bin/bash $ which zsh /usr/bin/zsh This is useful to know in case you need to explicitly call the bash/zsh binary in scripts or other programs. This means that most of your Bash scripts and command history should work in Zsh. bashrc or ~/. When upgrading from older versions bash stays there, but there is a banner, that zsh is a default shell and how to switch. Apr 25, 2025 · Starting with macOS Catalina, Apple ditched Bash as the default shell and gave Zsh the crown. Discover how to easily determine if you're using bash or zsh. There Discover how to change from zsh to bash effortlessly. This guide provides simple steps and tips to make your shell transition smooth and swift. Since it’s based on the same shell as Bash, ZSH has many of the same features, and switching over is a breeze. 9) as at 2022-10-08 My preferred user shell is zsh. Bash is not actually a POSIX compliant shell. Nov 30, 2022 · Conclusion: ZSH and Bash – Which one is better? By the look of it zsh definitely better than bash. Bash has better tooling and I write bash more than I write ZSH. However, Zsh is considered to be more powerful and feature-rich than Bash, with advanced features like advanced tab completion, spelling correction, and theme customization. There is a workaround though. More information can be found on the "Zsh Web Pages" sites. Are all bash scripts/functions compatible with zsh? Therefore, if that is true is zsh just an enhancement May 2, 2022 · Zsh was designed with better user interaction in mind. It still has bash installed (a fairly old version due to licensing) and existing accounts keep their perfered shell as bash but ya it is installed by default and new users have zsh as their perfered shell. 命令行 Shell 是与操作系统交互的核心工具，允许用户高效地执行命令、自动化任务以及运行脚本。 虽然市面上有多种 Shell 可供选择，但 Bash、Zsh 和 Fish 是最受欢迎的三大 Shell，它们各自拥有独特的功能特点。因… Mar 23, 2023 · 🙃 A delightful community-driven (with 2,400+ contributors) framework for managing your zsh configuration. Some of the shells that Bash has borrowed concepts from are the Bourne Shell (sh), the Korn Shell (ksh), and the C-shell (csh and its successor, tcsh). Since it's based on the same shell as Bash, ZSH has many of the same features, and switching over is a breeze. ZSH has been a trusty companion, and we’ve done quite a bit of campaigning together. Bash vs. That said, ultimately, the choice between bash and zsh will depend on your specific needs and preferences. You can look them up, but zsh supports several features that I wouldn't want to lose, and with ohmyzsh and starship it becomes almost unbeatable. Bash is the default login shell for most Linux distributions. Over the years, zsh has gained a reputation for being one of the most powerful and versatile shells available, combining rich scripting features with a robust interactive experience. I believe it is a superset. Bash: The Important The extensive customization options and powerful features of zsh can lead to a steeper learning curve compared to simpler shells like bash. Zsh, while mostly compatible with Bash, prioritizes features and user experience over strict POSIX compliance. Here's a comparison: Bash (Bourne Again SHell) History: The successor to the original Bourne shell (sh). Bash ( Bourne-Again shell ) Bash, or the Bourne-Again Shell, is by far the most popularly used shell and it comes installed as the default shell in the most popular Linux distributions. 2. Noteworthy features Mar 9, 2020 · Install Zsh Before using the Zsh shell in place of Bash, you’ll need to install it on your Linux PC. Discover which shell suits your workflow—scripting, customization, or beginner-friendly use. What is ZSH? ZSH, also called the Z shell, is an extended version of the Bourne Shell (sh), with new features and support for plugins and themes. I want to share which one I chose and how I went about setting it up. The following menu breaks the features up into categories, noting which features were inspired by other shells and which are specific to Bash. Ideal for programmers Apr 4, 2024 · Infrastructure / Automation / PythonI’ve used ZSH as my interactive shell for almost 10 years now. 3 (Panther), then kept with it thru 10. It also 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. Decent features; zsh — the most feature rich, but still rarely used; ksh — default shell in Solaris, AIX and other few other unices; tcsh — default shell in various *BSD flavor unices; Historic: sh — original Bourne shell (released 1977). Bash supports sh. As a result, Bash can execute the vast majority of Bourne shell scripts without modification. Then you can learn the zsh gems a little bit at a time. Sep 24, 2023 · ZSH, also called the Z shell, is an extended version of the Bourne Shell (sh), with new features and support for plugins and themes. Zsh is designed to be a highly customizable shell with an interactive command-line interface for executing commands, running shell scripts, and performing various system administration tasks. Though Bourne shell and Bash are similar, there are differences in layout and code compatibility. With zsh, I am working (with nearly) a superset of bash. Bash Shells help admins run commands from the keyboard to the OS. And it (zsh) is the default shell for all newly created users or after clean install. This article dives into the differences between Bash and Zsh, comparing their features, scripting capabilities, performance, and customization options to help users choose the right shell for their needs in 2025. The Bourne Again (bash) shell can be thought of as the next generation Korn shell, as bash is basically a superset of the 1988 version Korn shell, with many of the Korn shell 1993 features. If you The Bash command syntax is a superset of the Bourne shell 's syntax, from which all basic features of the Bash syntax were copied. I'd create a file /etc/commonprofile and source it in both /etc/profile and /etc/zsh/zprofile. One point of exception, though: zsh is not a superset of POSIX sh, unless you're either (1) running it under the sh name to enable POSIX compatibility mode, or (2) restricting not only the code, but the data being processed (to avoid cases where unquoted expansion behaviors differ). Jun 20, 2025 · What’s the Difference Between Bash, SH, and ZSH? A quick guide to understanding the key differences between Bash, SH, and ZSH and when to use each one for scripting or daily terminal use. Bash scripts can be executed using the zsh interpreter without any modifications. Nov 8, 2020 · 使用Mac系统的朋友应该比较熟悉Zsh和Bash这两个shell，但是对二者具体有什么区别可能不太了解。本文将从这两个shell入手，对相关概念以及二者区别进行解释。 什么是 Feb 20, 2024 · Z Shell (zsh) was created by Paul Falstad in 1990 while he was a student at Princeton University. I wanted to know if my old shell scripts of bash will work with the same syntax in zsh or not ? Sep 29, 2020 · A look at the main differences of Bourne shell vs. Jun 8, 2019 · Speaking as someone who's used both and landed on bash -- the only thing that made me really, deeply unhappy with zsh was its decision to break POSIX compliance when the standard canonicalizes admittedly-bad design decisions in ways that made it easy to get sloppy about correctness when trying to write scripts that needed to be compatible with other, strictly-POSIX-superset shells The ZSH is a superset of BASH, but both are cool!! MyWebUniversity 2. It is an alternative to the default shell, Bash. The three main ones out there are Bash, Zsh, and Fish. Let’s dive in! What Is a Shell? A shell is more Apr 26, 2025 · Zsh is largely compatible with Bash as it was designed to incorporate many of the features and commands that Bash users are familiar with. This tutorial will help you for switching between Zsh and Bash on macOS systems. (It will always be sh-compatible though – never csh or fish. 7. It is essentially the same thing as bash but just has many additional features. Z Shell is an extended version of the Bourne-Again Shell (bash), with additional features and capabilities. Unravel their unique features and learn how to choose the right shell for your tasks. However, there are other popular shells to choose from with different features and advantages, such as the Z SHell (Zsh) and Friendly Interactive SHell (Fish). In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the history, pros and cons, and key features of Bash, Zsh, and Fish shells. Understand their origins from AT&T's Bell Labs and the GNU Project, enhancing usability with advanced features like command-line editing and job control. Why switch back to Bash and ble. "Interactive autocompletion" is the primary reason people pick zsh over the competition. - Installing ZSH · ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh Wiki Oct 21, 2023 · zsh, fish, and Xonsh are probably your best bets out of the 15 options considered. Bash is superset of sh. Feb 15, 2010 · This document contains a list of frequently-asked (or otherwise significant) questions concerning the Z-shell, a command interpreter for many UNIX systems which is freely available to anyone with FTP access. It was initially created by Paul Falstad while he was a student and Princetown University and originally it was created incorporating many useful features from other Explore the nuances of zsh vs bash in this comprehensive guide. - Installing ZSH · ohmyzsh/ohmyzsh Wiki Feb 17, 2025 · Learn how to seamlessly transition from Bash to Zsh with our comprehensive step-by-step guide tailored for developers. It includes 300+ plugins, themes, and tweaks to supercharge your terminal experience. Discover their unique features, customization options, scripting capabilities, and user preferences. Bash contains features that appear in other popular shells, and some features that only appear in Bash. My director uses fish as his shell, but I find it to be way too opinionated and it tends to break certain scripts unless specifically written for fish (or just invoking the script with bash or zsh but if May 6, 2020 · When I set up my Windows computer, I had the chance to take another look at the shell I'm using. By comparing the Nov 14, 2023 · Improve your Bash & zsh Shell skills with the handy shortcuts featured in this convenient cheat sheet! Jun 30, 2015 · -bash: virtualenv: command not found Every time I run pip install virtualenv, it returns: Mar 3, 2017 · Most Linux distributions include the bash shell by default, but you could also switch to another shell environment. Mar 29, 2025 · Bash vs Zsh vs Fish: Learn the key differences between the top Linux shells in 2025. Learn why Bash is preferred for its rich functionalities, while SH is favored for simplicity and portability in diverse Unix-like systems. I have liked the bash shell that ships default with elementary OS very much. Basic Features of Bash and Zsh May 7, 2009 · Current: bash — Bourne again shell, default shell in most Linux distributions. Uncover features, strengths, and tips to master your command line experience. My age is showing. Discover which is better for scripting, performance, customization, and productivity in your terminal workflow. Mar 24, 2023 · Are you looking for a powerful and customizable shell that can be especially useful for power users and developers who spend a lot of time on the command line? Zsh, short for "Z Shell," is a command-line interpreter shell for Unix-based systems such as Linux and macOS. It‘s been around for decades and is stable and widely portable. Zsh's alias builtin has options unavailable in Bash's alias builtin. Zsh is a shell designed for interactive use, although it is also a powerful scripting language. / en / versus / bash-vs-zsh BASH vs ZSH Both are powerful command-line shells used primarily on Unix-like operating systems (Linux, macOS). 14 (Mojave), released in 2018. The features that default Zsh has over default Bash are aimed to make the shell more interactive, making it much more accessible and usable for users of all experience levels. In this blog, we’ll explore the key features of Zsh and Bash, helping you decide which one suits your workflow best. Zsh offers some advanced functionality Sep 24, 2023 · Here’s how to install one popular alternative, ZSH. bash_profile. The ZSH is a superset of BASH, but both are cool!!#linux#zsh #bash #shorts Sep 4, 2008 · Since zsh is (almost) a superset of bash, you can start with moving to zsh and using it like bash. In the case of bash the sequences start with a backslash and in the case of tcsh and zsh a percent sign. They interpret your commands and interact with the operating system. This guide simplifies the process with quick tips and clear examples. There may be issues running non-trivial bash scripts with zsh. * indicates Primary Origin Site (5. Hi, I'm new user to ZSH. On different systems, /bin/sh might be a link to ash, bash, dash, ksh, zsh, &c. This guide simplifies their unique features, helping you choose the right tool for your command line needs. In particular, Bash's alias only has the -p option, equivalent to providing no option at all, which prints defined aliases on standard output. g. It wasn’t until the following year’s release — 10. As far as May 26, 2011 · I'm using bash, but I'd like to have zsh style autocomplete (you hit tab and it tabs through the possibilities), rather than what bash seems to do, which is display a list of possibilities but not Sep 16, 2024 · Learn how to create and run 'Bash' and 'Zsh' scripts on Linux and macOS to automate tasks, enhance productivity, and streamline workflows with detailed examples. In this comprehensive 2500+ word guide, we’ll explore everything you need to […] Jul 25, 2022 · When bash script has no fish version Some scripts are only written in bash and zsh is a superset of bash and as such can execute any bash script. Aug 15, 2021 · bash - a POSIX-compliant implementation with many simplifying extensions zsh - a superset of bash fish - Unix shell with a focus on interactivity and usability, designed to give the user features by default, rather than by configuration dash dash is interesting, because it implements the POSIX shell spec with only a minor set of extensions. Since zsh is a feature superset of bash, you miss some things by citing bash documentation in your answer. But I would like to change to zsh that is a superset of bash. Thank you to several RexxLA members who reviewed and improved this cheat sheet. The Bash configuration file is usually located at ~/. Aug 25, 2018 · Install ZSH with Oh My ZSH to boost your terminal efficiency. Zsh adds some features that are well-executed and well-liked by the majority of users. This guide simplifies the transition while spotlighting zsh's powerful features. To install oh-my-zsh, run the usual command that you’d run in any Zsh shell: Oct 10, 2016 · In short: There are several shells which implement a superset of the POSIX sh specification. Includes 300+ optional plugins (rails, git, macOS, hub, docker, homebrew, node, php, python, etc), 140+ themes to spice up your morning, and an auto-update tool that makes it easy to keep up with the latest updates from the community. Discover the key differences between Bourne shell vs bash. 93K subscribers Subscribe Jul 13, 2019 · I'm looking to switch from bash to zsh but concerned about compatibility of bash scripts. What exactly is <(command) in bash? How does it compare to the =(command) in zsh? I understand that t. Obsoleted by bash; csh — original C shell (released 1978 Bash and Zsh are both popular Unix shell programs that offer similar functionalities, such as command line editing, scripting capabilities, and job control. Basic Features of Bash and Zsh Jan 10, 2025 · When it comes to command-line interfaces, the debate between Zsh vs Bash often takes center stage. Dec 27, 2023 · Have you ever wondered what exactly sets the Zsh and Bash scripting languages apart on Linux and macOS systems? As someone who regularly works on the command line, understanding the core distinctions will enable you to choose the right tool for your needs. ZSH vs. Fish is much easier to setup, but the incompatibilities with bash discourage me from learning. bash, tcsh, and zsh provide a set of special character sequences for putting dynamic information in the prompt. In this guide, we learn how to use Zsh to improve your command line Mar 19, 2025 · Compare the Bash vs. ycenh wmsiqh sephv ojip tupgui ufzx vdo nlnb nrhn kuezh fno djqaa zdb mza thewoyf