Macos default shell. It offers features like syntax highlighting, autos.

Macos default shell 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 operating system when used in conjunction with a Unix shell, such as zsh (the default interactive shell since macOS Catalina [3]). Apr 12, 2020 · One of the changes that have been done by Apple on this version, is the default login shell of macOS, from Bash to zsh. Adjusting the bash prompt is a straightforward process that enhances productivity by making the terminal interface more aligned with your preferences. Some benefits of Bash: Press ESC twice to get a list of every Bash command, then issue a print to save as . macOS Catalina and later (10. While macOS ships with the reliable bash shell, Zsh offers advanced functionality and customization options that make it worth upgrading to. Sep 19, 2025 · Fish is a smart and user-friendly command line (like bash or zsh). I want Fish on by default. app or run command with /bin/bash, it shows verbose message like below: $ /bin/bash The default interactive shell is now zsh. But Catalina replaced it with zsh. Apr 18, 2020 · Since macOS Catalina, zsh is the default shell instead of bash. I typically use the bash shell on Linux servers, so I prefer using it on my Mac. " message when you switch from zsh to bash. Mar 8, 2017 · I'm new to OS X. On macOS, Terminal. bash is the reincarnation of shell, and zsh is a child of bash. All newly created user accounts in macOS Catalina will use zsh by default. This book will teach you to use Terminal and the shell on macOS. Apr 30, 2015 · I want to change the default terminal app used by Visual Studio Code for Mac. Ghostty respects the macOS traditions and will start each shell as a login shell. If the change shell command didn't work, something is blocking it. On macOS and Linux, this includes bash, zsh, fish, and PowerShell (pwsh). Mar 13, 2022 · Finding your current shell Starting with macOS Catalina (10. There are several reasons you might want to do this. This works on Apr 23, 2018 · The shell that is run is the default shell of your account. Change General settings in Terminal on Mac Use General settings in Terminal to change the default window settings and the type of shell that’s used when a new window is opened in Terminal. On Windows, this includes PowerShell 5 & 7, WSL2, and Git Bash. This is the guide for the ultimate setup of macOS terminal / console / shell using zsh and other tools you can benefit from. Aug 25, 2020 · I'm using Hyper as my terminal application and I just installed Oh My Zsh via curl. Feb 19, 2022 · Starting with macOS Catalina, Mac uses zsh as the default login shell and interactive shell across the operating system. See article. [4]. I'd like it to be my default shell environment but for some reason whenever I restart Hyper I have to run the zsh 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 Jun 6, 2009 · What is the correct OSX way of changing a users default shell? When I googled for it I found several references to an application called NetInfo Manager but I couldn't find it on my system. com 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. 14-) See Apple Support page, Use zsh as the default shell on your Mac Surprisingly this doesn't work with the command line tools as one would expect. If your Mac's default shell is still the old bash or you set Terminal to open with bash or other shells when running these operating systems, you will see the warning. Mar 9, 2024 · Set macOS Default Browser Using CLI Every time I attempt to switch the default web browser on macOS, I get this prompt: With the help of defaultbrowser command-line tool, I am able to quickly Terminal Profiles Terminal profiles are platform-specific shell configurations comprised of an executable path, arguments, and other customizations. Personally I Jan 8, 2023 · Terminal Preferences are not required to set the default shell. macOS's Terminal allows you to specify the shell in its preferences. In this comprehensive 2800+ word […] Sep 29, 2009 · Unlike other answers, I find (macOs Monterey in 2022) that I have to give chsh the full path to the shell. Sep 6, 2023 · I felt comfortable using bash shell on MacOS. 2 days ago · The shell is the command-line interface (CLI) and interpreter for the set of commands used to interact with the operating system. By default zsh is very capable and provides many improvements over bash (the previous macOS default). I installed zsh on my Mac. This post is going to describe how to switch from the zsh shell to the bash shell. On macOS, the default shell is Zsh, introduced in macOS Catalina. Dec 18, 2018 · When you click on 'Terminal. Before Starting You should be familiar with using the macOS Terminal command line. This article teaches you how to switch to Bash from Zsh on macOS using CLI and System Settings. To update your account to use zsh, please run `chsh -s /bin/zsh`. I do not like to retype fish every time I start terminal. To change your shell to Bash on a Mac, you can use the following command in the Terminal: chsh -s /bin/bash Understanding Shells on macOS A shell is a program that provides an interface for users to interact with the operating system. , there are still use cases where Bash may prove helpful in the macOS terminal. By default several profiles are automatically detected which can be customized or added to. Jan 13, 2020 · Install the latest Bash shell on macOS with Homebrew and make it your default shell. app. It features syntax highlighting, autosuggestions Learn how to use Terminal on your Mac to interact with macOS using the command line. While Zsh offers many modern Jul 20, 2018 · Set up the fish shell on Mac — step by step fish shell is one of the most popular shells for terminal in Mac and Linux. To change these settings in the Terminal app on your Mac, choose Terminal > Settings, click Profiles, select a profile, then click Shell. profile or . Jun 10, 2023 · A custom shell path can be set in terminals such as Kitty, Alacritty and the default Terminal. Mar 26, 2024 · With macOS Catalina, Apple switched from using bash as the default terminal shell to Zsh. io, or download pre-built binaries from our the Github releases page. and now i want to make it the default shell instead of Bash. Change the default shell in Terminal on Mac The default shell is zsh. Jan 10, 2025 · How to Change the Default Shell to Bash on macOS Changing the default shell to Bash on macOS is a task that many users may need to perform for various reasons. Homebrew doesn't ever install to /bin/, so you'll find an out-of-date copy of zsh at /bin/zsh and the brew version in /usr/local/bin/zsh. You can verify the default shell by typing echo $0 in the terminal. 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’. 2 days ago · Later macOS versions like macOS Monterey /Big Sur also have the default shell configured to zsh. How do I open a Python shell in terminal Mac? Run from terminal You can start a Python program with the terminal or command line. So changing ~/. Mar 18, 2025 · To learn about sudo, open the Terminal app and enter man sudo. PDF and have a complete listing at your fingertips history -c networkQuality Numerous other commands that don't work in ZSH Why has Apple decided to Project-specific configurations User-specific customizations Unix-compatibility settings Remember that . Nov 26, 2024 · Discover how switching from Zsh to Fish shell can enhance your productivity with faster performance, rich built-in functionality, and an user-friendly configuration experience. 7 Posted on Apr 17, 2023 11:11 AM ⚠️ 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. sh/ package manager installed on your machine. bashrc is read for interactive non-login shells. How can I set the Fish shell as my default shell on a Mac? Jul 22, 2025 · How to install and switch your default shell to Fish Shell on macOS Sequoia Jan 10, 2025 · How to Change the Default Shell to Bash on macOS macOS has come a long way in terms of shell usage and command-line operations. It is also available on Windows 10 with the introduction of Windows From macOS, Big Sur Apple is shipping zsh as the default shell but there is still an option available to use the bash shell. This needs to be done with Jun 6, 2025 · The Default Interactive Shell Is Now Zsh Currently, the default interactive shell in macOS is Zsh, but if you prefer Bash, the choice is yours. Bash didn't disappear from macOS, it is available. 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. How to use bash as default shell Ask Question Asked 9 years, 10 months ago Modified 8 years, 7 months ago Nov 15, 2018 · By Chiamaka Ikeanyi Sometimes, using the default terminal sucks. You could try setting the default shell in your user account. (eg, sudo can use powershell then) Jun 5, 2019 · Apple has announced that in macOS 10. It covers an overview of both shells, the steps for setting them up, 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. I am thinking it is part of preferences or settings json, but unsure. Jun 4, 2019 · Starting with macOS Catalina, Macs will now use zsh as the default login shell and interactive shell across the operating system. This comprehensive guide will walk you through configuring environment variables, managing shell profiles, and setting up aliases for optimal productivity. Since macOS Catalina, Apple has made Zsh the default shell, replacing Bash. app can be told to launch a process other than your users default shell (eg, powershell), but there are a few cases where if you might want to replace your shell system-wide. Find out how this impacts Terminal and your existing shell scripts. At the prompt, type echo $0 Mar 12, 2022 · What is Zsh Shell? What is the default shell for your Mac running macOS? Lets see in this tutorial. install a bash. So when you have bash set as your shell (the default on macOS) you will get a bash shell running as root. You run a shell script to perform commands you might otherwise enter at the command line. Sep 23, 2023 · bash is the default shell on a mac If you are confused over bash, zsh and shell, just remember they are one family. What shell is your Mac using? There’s an easy way to tell — here’s how. Be aware that some programs on your system (or their documentation) might assume that your login shell is POSIX compatible. Installing themes, plugins, setting default aliases and functions can proof to be a challenge on Bash. Oct 9, 2019 · 214 I know Catalina uses zsh as the default login shell and interactive shell, but it is very annoying when I open iTerm. Linux default shell: Bash macOS default shell: Zsh Terminal: Which to Use? It’s recommended to stick with Zsh as your default shell for local development. bash_profile doesn't help; you either need to change your zsh profile through open ~/. Z shell (Zsh) is a Unix shell built on top of bash (the default shell for macOS) wi The book covers the new default shell zsh, but also bash, on macOS versions up to and including macOS 11 Big Sur. bashrc. The root user is disabled by default, and it's not intended for routine use. Change the default shell in Terminal on Mac The default shell is zsh. 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. Whether you’re a developer, a system administrator, or simply someone who prefers the Bash shell over the Zsh shell (the default for macOS Catalina and later), this comprehensive guide will walk you through the process, explain the Aug 24, 2024 · The default macOS terminal is basic and limited. 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. Sep 7, 2013 · By default, macOS has bash, zsh and a few others pre-installed in /bin/. Terminal. Zsh became the default in macOS Catalina and higher version of macOS. This is your straightforward way to boost performance and keep those pesky errors at bay. Nov 16, 2023 · Sharing my notes on setting up the fish shell on macOS, including customizations like plugins, themes, and abbreviations. However, this behavior is different from other Unix systems, and may cause confusion for users who are used to the behavior of those systems. 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: Jul 15, 2021 · We can run something like chsh -s /usr/local/bin/zsh to set a new default shell. This tutorial will help you for switching between Zsh and Bash on macOS systems. Oct 14, 2024 · Eventually, in the release of macOS Catalina in 2019, Zsh became the default shell for macOS. In previous macOS versions, the default was Bash. Default Shell Setting Nu as default shell on your terminal Setting Nu as login shell (Linux, BSD & macOS) Warning Nu is not intended to be POSIX compliant. Figure 1: PowerShell on macOS Install PowerShell I won’t waste too much time here, as Microsoft already has an excellent article with popular options. Why? Can I switch it back? If so, how? Does it make sense to do so? Any gotchas? Use Shell settings in Terminal to change the startup or exit behavior of the shell for a Terminal window profile. In this series, I will document my experiences moving bash settings, configurations, and scripts over to zsh. app' on a stock MacOS system, your connected to the systems pseudo TTY which in turn launches your users default shell. In macOS Catalina the default shell was changed to zsh and in time this page may be updated to include the zsh variants. While Zsh is in many ways superior to Bash, thanks to its floating-point support, hash data structures, customization options, etc. Dec 27, 2023 · In this comprehensive guide, you‘ll learn: The history behind shells on Mac OSX and why Zsh became the default Key reasons for switching from Zsh to Bash Step-by-step instructions for changing shells How to customize Bash to suit your workflows Tips for avoiding issues down the road Ready to unlock the power of Bash on Mac? Let‘s get started! A Brief History of Shells on MacOS To Jan 15, 2021 · Every new Mac uses the (Zsh) by default, but you can quickly and easily switch the default shell back to Bash. 15). Before that, Macs used the Bash shell by default. Is it safe to upgrade the bash shell using Homebrew: $ brew install bash If safe, how do I make it the default instance of the shell I run Jun 8, 2019 · Configuration files: bash reads (mainly) . While Zsh is a powerful and feature-rich shell, some users might prefer Bash for its simplicity, familiarity, or compatibility with existing scripts and tools 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. I immediately switched it back to BASH. zsh is highly compatible with the Bourne shell (sh) and mostly compatible with bash, with some differences. As you can see above, I was on the bash shell ($) before and typing zsh switched me to Z Shell (%) ️ Since macOS Catalina Zsh is the default shell, you might see "The default interactive shell is now zsh. On macOS Mojave and earlier, the default shell is bash, however, Apple switched from zsh to bash since macOS Catalina partly 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. 15 and later use Zsh by default. bashrc in non-login interactive shells (but macOS starts a login shell in terminals by default), . Dec 17, 2019 · Zsh is the new default shell used in macOS Catalina and later. If you launch a zsh shell and go to install Homebrew, Homebrew's install script calls /bin/bash for you so you don't have to do anything. macOS Mojave and earlier (10. The user account named ”root” is a superuser with read and write privileges to more areas of the system, including files in other macOS user accounts. You can change the shell that new Terminal windows and tabs open with. Mar 15, 2021 · The easiest and quickest way to get Nu Shell running on a Linux / macOS system is to install from crates. bash_profile is read for login shells and . This article explodes some advantages of Fish, such as pre-installed plugins, faster and simpler setup, along with a step-by-step guide to make your migration seamless and efficient. Breaking that assumption can lead to unexpected issues. A shell script is a text file that contains one or more UNIX commands. Nov 30, 2021 · 8 In Mac OS Catalina default interactive shell is zsh. Is there a command we can run to know what that shell is? I don’t mean having a terminal open and running a command to Dec 29, 2021 · Recent versions of macOS now use zsh as the default command line shell. Open the Terminal application on your Mac. It includes more modern features and better community support. This is how you can instal Fish on MacOS and make your default shell. The shells supplied by Apple are often years out of date, so many people prefer to install the latest bash shell using homebrew. For example, you may need to be using the bash shell to . At its developer conference on June 4, 2019, Apple stated that, beginning with the Fall 2019 Catalina version of macOS, Z shell (zsh) would replace Bash as the default shell command language interpreter. inputrc. Aug 7, 2021 · change your macOS user default shell to the shell you want to use, and then leave iTerm2's setting (Profiles -> General -> Command) as simply "Login Shell" in the drop-down To open iTerm2 when you try to open default Terminal app on macOS, you have to do the following: Create a bash file called open_iterm. Similarly, the default Apple message if bash is my shell says Apr 17, 2023 · How to change the default shell in MacOS How to run chsh -s /bin/zsh [Re-Titled by Moderator] MacBook Air 13″, macOS 11. The reason behind the switch, among other reasons, includes avoiding licensing obligations of GPLv3 Jun 21, 2025 · Setting up your macOS shell environment properly is crucial for an efficient development workflow. 15), Apple set the default shell to the Z shell (zsh). Feb 14, 2025 · The default shell in macOS is Bash – good but not for all terminal operations, especially as scripting environment. You can make zsh the default in earlier versions of macOS as well. Part 1:… While I am using more and more macOS and PowerShell, the need of enriching the look-and-feel starts to reveal. It acts as a bridge between the user and the system’s services. bash is the default shell in macOS Mojave and earlier. May 15, 2023 · Check out how to make your terminal look better and be more productive. Oct 24, 2022 · fish is a smart and user-friendly command line shell for macOS, Linux, and the rest of the family. By default, Apple switched the default shell from Bash to Zsh (Z shell) starting with macOS Catalina (10. To change shell to zsh from bash: Changing the default shell to bash on macOS is a straightforward process that can be done in just a few simple steps. zshrc change your default shell to bash through chsh -s /bin/bash It's also possible to do this via the GUI but if you're already in Terminal, this is quicker. 15+) Apple replaced bash with zsh as the default shell for new user accounts. 15 Catalina the default shell will be zsh. Jan 22, 2021 · Every Mac comes with a Unix shell that provides a command line interface. Recent versions of MacOS or OS X should include zsh out of the box. Using the brew package manager a more recent version of bash can be installed be executing brew install May 6, 2020 · What is the default shell in Mac terminal? zsh Starting with macOS Catalina, Macs will now use zsh as the default login shell and interactive shell across the operating system. Note that you need the https://brew. app starts a login shell by default, which is why . Before we can configure zsh as the default shell, we first need to make sure it is installed on your system. See full list on howtogeek. Macs running macOS 10. Nov 23, 2021 · After upgrading to MacOS Monterey, I was stunned that Apple would switch my default shell to ZSH. Anyway, one of the keys to a smooth-running Mac is regular maintenance. From Apple: By default, your Mac uses either zsh or bash as the command-line interpreter for the login shell and interactive shell: zsh (Z shell) is the default shell for all newly created user accounts, starting with the macOS Catalina beta. This matches the behavior of other terminal emulators on macOS, most notably the default Terminal. It depends on the macOS versions you're running. To scroll this page, press [ a – z ] on the keyboard, or ' \ ' to Search. Zsh (Z shell) and bash (Bourne-again Shell) are the two options for Mac's default shell. Warp supports popular shells across macOS, Windows, and Linux. bash_profile must source . For this aim, use MacKeeper’s Memory Cleaner to refresh your Mac. Tagged with macos, cli, bash. To maximize your productivity as a developer, customizing your terminal with Zsh and useful plugins is a must. Notably it provides a comprhensive command-line completion system that can save a lot of time when you're working in the terminal. Jun 26, 2023 · Fish (Friendly Interactive SHell) is a Unix shell designed to be user-friendly and interactive. Each shell supports a configuration file in your macOS Home folder that gets read every time you open a new terminal window (or tab). But the trusty old Bash shell is still included with macOS, and you can quickly switch back to Bash if you prefer. There w How-to: Terminal/profile startup files in macOS There are two default shells commonly used with macOS: zsh (Z shell) is the default shell for all newly created user accounts, starting with macOS Catalina. But I seem to be running into the following error: Latest macOS now using zsh as the default shell, though many users still work with bash. bash_profile in login shells, and . Of course, no matter what version of macOS you’re using, you can . So in this post, I will show you how to properly configure PowerShell with Oh My Posh as your default shell on macOS. Apple includes a bash install with macOS, it's just an older version (tl;dr Apple doesn't want to deal with GPLv3 licensing and therefore switched to zsh by default rather than bundle newer versions of bash). app but following the instructions below sets your default shell across the entire system for all terminal emulators. Actually, it doesn't set the default shell, just the one you use for that session. By default, it is set to use your login shell, but it looks like you've overridden it to use Bash. Example profile: Dec 15, 2023 · Starting with macOS Catalina, your Mac uses zsh as the default login shell and interactive shell. instructions. Aug 2, 2023 · Zsh replaced Bash as macOS's default terminal shell in macOS Catalina. I'm running OS X Lion on a MacBook Pro. It offers features like syntax highlighting, autos Nov 21, 2022 · How to Switch the Default Shell to Bash on macOSApple is now using Zsh as the default shell on macOS. You want to go out of the ordinary, to add life to the boring terminal and improve your productivity. Apr 19, 2023 · For Mac computers, the default shell was always bash (Bourne-Again shell) up until the release of macOS Catalina, when it was replaced with zsh as the default. To change these settings in the Terminal app on your Mac, choose Terminal > Settings, then click General. sh in your desirable directory and insert following code. urf bvdf xzds sqyqowz ghqjjz pinmu vmre vqqe yyuytcw yxoy gthdbc phy zzxhtbm dpkhv xlbw