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Figure out what shell you're running

Terminal - Figure out what shell you're running
echo $0
2011-02-05 16:42:48
User: chmurli
Functions: echo
15
Up
Down
Figure out what shell you're running
Add to favourites | Report as malicious

Alternatives

There are 5 alternatives - vote for the best!

Terminal - Alternatives
readlink -f /proc/$$/exe
2011-02-05 10:24:02
User: j_melis
Functions: readlink
8
Up
Down
Figure out what shell you're running
Comments (3) | Add to favourites | Report as malicious
ps -p $$
2011-02-05 16:22:17
User: psykotron
Functions: ps
3
Up
Down
Figure out what shell you're running

short, sweet, and works after sudoing a new shell.

Show sample output | Comments (0) | Add to favourites | Report as malicious
ps -o comm= -p $$
2011-02-05 11:54:42
User: depesz
Functions: ps
0
Up
Down
Figure out what shell you're running

First version was "ps uw -p $$", but current "ps -o comm= -p $$" just gives shell name

Comments (0) | Add to favourites | Report as malicious
ps ho command $$
2011-02-05 10:24:33
User: j_melis
Functions: command ps
-3
Up
Down
Figure out what shell you're running
Comments (3) | Add to favourites | Report as malicious
echo $SHELL
2011-02-05 11:06:40
User: lockie
Functions: echo
-3
Up
Down
Figure out what shell you're running

Isn't that simplier huh?

Show sample output | Comments (1) | Add to favourites | Report as malicious

Know a better way?

If you can do better, submit your command here.

What others think

This doesn't work properly. Look at this snippet:

cat test.sh

readlink -f /proc/$$/exe

echo $SHELL

zsh test.sh

/bin/zsh

/bin/bash

When running a script the $SHELL variable will not change, whereas the PID will, so it's more reliable.

Comment by j_melis 123 weeks and 3 days ago

echo $0 is the best

Comment by RanyAlbeg 123 weeks and 3 days ago

Yes you're right. Thanks!

Comment by putnamhill 123 weeks and 1 day ago
echo $0

returns the name of the current shell or program.

Pop it into a script and run it and it will return the name of the script not the name of the shell.

echo $SHELL is more reliable.
Comment by zlemini 123 weeks ago

"echo $0" in guake returns "-" and in gnome-terminal returns "-bash".

If you run "exec -a csh bash", then in $0 you have "csh"

Comment by etam1024 122 weeks and 6 days ago

Your point of view

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