Linux Shell Initialization - Shell Initialization
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Shell initialization files are ways to persist common shell configuration, such as:
Shell modes: Which Unix shell initialization files get sourced by the Unix shell is dependent on the combination of Unix shell modes in which a particular xNIX shell process runs. There are two main, non-exclusive modes:
These modes can be manually activated with the following flags to bash/zsh:
Here are some common operations and Unix shell modes they result in:
log in to a remote system via SSH: login + interactive execute a script remotely, e.g. ssh user@host 'echo $PWD' or with Capistrano: non‑login, non‑interactive execute a script remotely and request a terminal, e.g. ssh user@host -t 'echo $PWD': non-login, interactive start a new shell process, e.g. bash: non‑login, interactive run a script, bash myscript.sh: non‑login, non‑interactive run an executable with #!/usr/bin/env bash shebang: non‑login, non‑interactive open a new graphical terminal window/tab: on Mac OS X: login, interactive on Linux: non‑login, interactive
In order of activation:
login mode: /etc/profile ~/.bash_profile, ~/.bash_login, ~/.profile (only first one that exists) interactive non-login: /etc/bash.bashrc (some Linux; not on Mac OS X) ~/.bashrc non-interactive: source file in $BASH_ENV
/etc/zshenv ~/.zshenv login mode: /etc/zprofile ~/.zprofile interactive: /etc/zshrc ~/.zshrc login mode: /etc/zlogin ~/.zlogin
login mode: /etc/profile ~/.profile interactive: source file in $ENV
<install-prefix>/config.fish /etc/fish/config.fish ~/.config/fish/config.fish
Opening a new Terminal window/tab: bash OS X: .bash_profile or .profile (1st found) Linux: .profile (Ubuntu, once per desktop login session) + .bashrc Zsh OS X: .zshenv + .zprofile + .zshrc Linux: .profile (Ubuntu, once per desktop login session) + .zshenv + .zshrc
Logging into a system via SSH: bash: .bash_profile or .profile (1st found) Zsh: .zshenv + .zprofile + .zshrc
Executing a command remotely with ssh or Capistrano: bash: source file in $BASH_ENV Zsh: .zshenv
Remote git hook triggered by push over SSH: no init files get sourced, since hooks are running within a restricted shell PATH will be roughly: /usr/libexec/git-core:/usr/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/sbin:/sbin
OS X:
/etc/paths, /etc/paths.d/*
~/.MacOSX/environment.plist - affects all graphical programs
/etc/launchd.conf
TextMate: Preferences → Advanced → Shell Variables
Linux:
/etc/environment
This guide was tested with:
On these operating systems/apps:
See also: