What is Bash?

Bash is a command-line interpreter that allows you to interact with your operating system by typing commands. It's also a powerful scripting language for automating tasks. Think of it as the language you speak to your computer when you're not using a graphical interface.

Bash is the default shell on most Linux distributions and macOS systems.
It's the "Bourne Again SHell," a successor to the original Bourne shell.

Shell vs. Bash Shell: What's the Difference?

The terms "shell" and "Bash shell" are often used interchangeably, but there's a subtle distinction:

A "Shell" is a general term for any command-line interface that provides access to an operating system's services. Examples include Zsh, Fish, C shell (csh), Korn shell (ksh), etc.
The "Bash shell" is specifically the Bourne Again SHell.

Due to its widespread popularity, when people refer to "the shell" on Linux or macOS, they are usually talking about Bash. This tutorial will focus exclusively on using Bash.

History of Bash

Bash was originally developed by Brian Fox as a free replacement for the proprietary Bourne shell.
It quickly became the default shell for the GNU operating system and many Linux distributions.
Over time, Bash incorporated powerful features from other popular shells, such as the Korn shell (ksh) and C shell (csh), making it a highly versatile and feature-rich tool for command-line users.

Practical Uses of Bash in the Real World

For System Administrators:

Automate tasks: Running nightly backups, cleaning up temporary files, managing user accounts.
System operations: Monitoring system health, configuring network settings, managing services.
Process data: Filtering logs, generating reports from system data.

For Developers: Build automation: Compiling code, running build scripts, packaging applications.

Testing: Automating the execution of test suites.
Deployment: Scripting the deployment of applications to servers.
Data processing and manipulation: Preparing data for analysis, transforming file formats.