C.2. Differing features

The table below shows major differences between the standard shell (sh), Bourne Again SHell (bash), Korn shell (ksh) and the C shell (csh).

NoteShell compatibility
 

Since the Bourne Again SHell is a superset of sh, all sh commands will also work in bash - but not vice versa. bash has many more features of its own, and, as the table below demonstrates, many features incorporated from other shells.

Since the Turbo C shell is a superset of csh, all csh commands will work in tcsh, but not the other way round.

Table C-2. Differing Shell Features

sh bash ksh csh Meaning/Action
$$$%Default user prompt
  >| >| >! Force redirection
> file 2>&1 &> file or > file 2>&1 > file 2>&1 >& file Redirect stdout and stderr to file
  { }   { } Expand elements in list
`command` `command` or $(command) $(command) `command` Substitute output of enclosed command
$HOME $HOME $HOME $home Home directory
 ~~~Home directory symbol
  ~+, ~-, dirs ~+, ~- =-, =N Access directory stack
var=value VAR=value var=value set var=value Variable assignment
export var export VAR=value export var=val setenv var val Set environment variable
  ${nnnn} ${nn}  More than 9 arguments can be referenced
"$@""$@""$@" All arguments as separate words
$# $# $# $#argv Number of arguments
$? $? $? $status Exit status of the most recently executed command
$! $! $!  PID of most recently backgrounded process
$- $- $-  Current options
. file source file or . file . file source file Read commands in file
  alias x='y' alias x=y alias x y Name x stands for command y
case case case switch or case Choose alternatives
done done done end End a loop statement
esac esac esac endsw End case or switch
exit n exit n exit n exit (expr) Exit with a status
for/do for/do for/do foreach Loop through variables
  set -f , set -o nullglob|dotglob|nocaseglob|noglob   noglob Ignore substitution characters for filename generation
hash hash alias -t hashstat Display hashed commands (tracked aliases)
hash cmds hash cmds alias -t cmds rehash Remember command locations
hash -r hash -r   unhash Forget command locations
  history history history List previous commands
  ArrowUp+Enter or !! r !! Redo previous command
  !str r str !str Redo last command that starts with "str"
  !cmd:s/x/y/ r x=y cmd !cmd:s/x/y/ Replace "x" with "y" in most recent command starting with "cmd", then execute.
if [ $i -eq 5 ] if [ $i -eq 5 ] if ((i==5)) if ($i==5) Sample condition test
fi fi fi endif End if statement
ulimit ulimit ulimit limit Set resource limits
pwd pwd pwd dirs Print working directory
read read read $< Read from terminal
trap 2 trap 2 trap 2 onintr Ignore interrupts
  unalias unalias unalias Remove aliases
until until until  Begin until loop
while/do while/do while/do while Begin while loop

The Bourne Again SHell has many more features not listed here. This table is just to give you an idea of how this shell incorporates all useful ideas from other shells: there are no blanks in the column for bash. More information on features found only in Bash can be retrieved from the Bash info pages, in the "Bash Features" section.

More information:

You should at least read one manual, being the manual of your shell. The preferred choice would be info bash, bash being the GNU shell and easiest for beginners. Print it out and take it home, study it whenever you have 5 minutes.

See Appendix B if you are having difficulties to assimilate shell commands.