If you have been using Linux for a while and particularly if you are beginning to get familiar with the Linux command line you will know that BASH is a Linux shell.
BASH stands for Bourne Again Shell. There are a number of different shells including csh, zsh, dash, and korn.
A shell is an interpreter which can accept commands for a user and run them to perform operations such as navigating around a file system, running programs, and interacting with devices.
Many Debian-based Linux distributions such as Debian itself, Ubuntu, and Linux Mint use DASH as a shell instead of BASH. DASH stands for Debian Almquist Shell. The DASH shell is very similar to BASH but it is a lot smaller than the BASH shell.
Regardless as to whether you are using BASH or DASH, you will have a file called .bashrc. In fact, you will have multiple .bashrc files.
Open a terminal window and type in the following command:
find / -name .bashrc
When you run this command there are three results returned:
- /etc/skel/.bashrc
- /home/gary/.bashrc
- /root/.bashrc
The /etc/skel/.bashrc file is copied into the home folder of any new users that are created on a system.
The /home/gary/.bashrc is the file used whenever the user gary opens a shell and the root file is used whenever root opens a shell.
What Is the .bashrc File?
The .bashrc file is a shell script which is run every time a user opens a new shell.
For example, open a terminal window, and enter the following command:
source ~/.bashrc
Did anything display? Depending on your .bashrc file, maybe or maybe not. Every time you start the Bash shell, the .bashrc script is run automatically. That could be from opening a new terminal, running the shell manually, or reloading .bashrc manually, like you just did.
The .bashrc file is a good place therefore to run commands that you want to run every single time you open a shell.
As an example open the .bashrc file using nano as follows:
nano ~/.bashrc
At the end of the file enter the following command:
echo Hello $USER
Save the file by pressing CTRL and O and then exit nano by pressing CTRL and X.
Within the terminal window run the following command:
source ~/.bashrc
The word "Hello" should be displayed along with the username you have logged in as.
You can use the .bashrc file to do anything you wish. A common example is neofetch. Neofetch displays important system information. Plenty of people like to use it as a terminal login message. If you want to give it a try, start by installing neofetch on your system.
sudo apt install neofetch
Then, add it to a line in your .bashrc file calling Neofetch.
neofetch
Finally, reload Bash in your terminal window.
source ~/.bashrc
You should see something like the image below, only with your distribution's info.
The Use Of Aliases
The .bashrc file is commonly used to set aliases to commonly used commands so that you don't have to remember long commands.
Some people consider this a bad thing because you could forget how to use the real command when placed on a machine where your own particular .bashrc file doesn't exist.
The truth is however that all of the commands are readily available online and in the man pages so adding aliases is a positive rather than a negative.
If you look at the default .bashrc file in a distribution such as Ubuntu or Mint you will see some aliases already set up.
For example:
alias listall='ls -alF'
The ls command is used to list the files and directories in the file system.
The -alF means that you will see a file listing show all files including hidden files which are preceded with a dot. The file listing will include the author's name and each file type will be classified.
You can create another that lists everything in a different format too:
alias listcols='ls -A -CF'
The -A switch simply lists all files and directories but it omits the .. file.
Finally the -CF lists entries by column along with their classification.
Now, you could, at any time, enter any of these commands directly into a terminal:
listall
If you find yourself running a command regularly and it is a relatively long command it might be worth adding your own alias to the .bashrc file.
The format for the alias is as follows:
alias =''
Basically, you specify the alias command and then give the alias a name. You then specify the command you wish to run after the equals sign.
For instance:
alias up='cd ..'
The above command lets you go up a directory simply by entering up.
Summary
The .bashrc file is a very powerful tool and is a great way to customize your Linux shell. Used in the correct way you will increase your productivity tenfold.
FAQ-
How do you edit .bashrc files on Mac?
As easy as it is on Linux, accessing and creating .bashrc files through Apple's Terminal on Mac only takes a few seconds.
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Does Windows support .bashrc at all like Mac and Linux?
No, it does not. However, you can use the Command Prompt on Windows for the same functionality of a .bashrc file.