Info Catalog bash: Bash Features bash: Bash Startup Files

bash: Invoking Bash

 
 6.1 Invoking Bash
 =================
 
      bash [long-opt] [-ir] [-abefhkmnptuvxdBCDHP] [-o OPTION] [-O SHOPT_OPTION] [ARGUMENT ...]
      bash [long-opt] [-abefhkmnptuvxdBCDHP] [-o OPTION] [-O SHOPT_OPTION] -c STRING [ARGUMENT ...]
      bash [long-opt] -s [-abefhkmnptuvxdBCDHP] [-o OPTION] [-O SHOPT_OPTION] [ARGUMENT ...]
 
    All of the single-character options used with the 'set' builtin
 (The Set Builtin) can be used as options when the shell is
 invoked.  In addition, there are several multi-character options that
 you can use.  These options must appear on the command line before the
 single-character options to be recognized.
 
 '--debugger'
      Arrange for the debugger profile to be executed before the shell
      Builtin:: for a description of the 'extdebug' option to the 'shopt'
      builtin).
 
 '--dump-po-strings'
      A list of all double-quoted strings preceded by '$' is printed on
      the standard output in the GNU 'gettext' PO (portable object) file
      format.  Equivalent to '-D' except for the output format.
 
 '--dump-strings'
      Equivalent to '-D'.
 
 '--help'
      Display a usage message on standard output and exit successfully.
 
 '--init-file FILENAME'
 '--rcfile FILENAME'
      Execute commands from FILENAME (instead of '~/.bashrc') in an
      interactive shell.
 
 '--login'
      Equivalent to '-l'.
 
 '--noediting'
      Do not use the GNU Readline library (Command Line Editing)
      to read command lines when the shell is interactive.
 
 '--noprofile'
      Don't load the system-wide startup file '/etc/profile' or any of
      the personal initialization files '~/.bash_profile',
      '~/.bash_login', or '~/.profile' when Bash is invoked as a login
      shell.
 
 '--norc'
      Don't read the '~/.bashrc' initialization file in an interactive
      shell.  This is on by default if the shell is invoked as 'sh'.
 
 '--posix'
      Change the behavior of Bash where the default operation differs
      from the POSIX standard to match the standard.  This is intended to
      make Bash behave as a strict superset of that standard.  Bash
      POSIX Mode, for a description of the Bash POSIX mode.
 
 '--restricted'
      Make the shell a restricted shell (The Restricted Shell).
 
 '--verbose'
      Equivalent to '-v'.  Print shell input lines as they're read.
 
 '--version'
      Show version information for this instance of Bash on the standard
      output and exit successfully.
 
    There are several single-character options that may be supplied at
 invocation which are not available with the 'set' builtin.
 
 '-c'
      Read and execute commands from the first non-option argument
      COMMAND_STRING, then exit.  If there are arguments after the
      COMMAND_STRING, the first argument is assigned to '$0' and any
      remaining arguments are assigned to the positional parameters.  The
      assignment to '$0' sets the name of the shell, which is used in
      warning and error messages.
 
 '-i'
      Force the shell to run interactively.  Interactive shells are
      described in Interactive Shells.
 
 '-l'
      Make this shell act as if it had been directly invoked by login.
      When the shell is interactive, this is equivalent to starting a
      login shell with 'exec -l bash'.  When the shell is not
      interactive, the login shell startup files will be executed.  'exec
      bash -l' or 'exec bash --login' will replace the current shell with
      a Bash login shell.  Bash Startup Files, for a description
      of the special behavior of a login shell.
 
 '-r'
      Make the shell a restricted shell (The Restricted Shell).
 
 '-s'
      If this option is present, or if no arguments remain after option
      processing, then commands are read from the standard input.  This
      option allows the positional parameters to be set when invoking an
      interactive shell.
 
 '-D'
      A list of all double-quoted strings preceded by '$' is printed on
      the standard output.  These are the strings that are subject to
      language translation when the current locale is not 'C' or 'POSIX'
      (Locale Translation).  This implies the '-n' option; no
      commands will be executed.
 
 '[-+]O [SHOPT_OPTION]'
      SHOPT_OPTION is one of the shell options accepted by the 'shopt'
      builtin (The Shopt Builtin).  If SHOPT_OPTION is present,
      '-O' sets the value of that option; '+O' unsets it.  If
      SHOPT_OPTION is not supplied, the names and values of the shell
      options accepted by 'shopt' are printed on the standard output.  If
      the invocation option is '+O', the output is displayed in a format
      that may be reused as input.
 
 '--'
      A '--' signals the end of options and disables further option
      processing.  Any arguments after the '--' are treated as filenames
      and arguments.
 
    A _login_ shell is one whose first character of argument zero is '-',
 or one invoked with the '--login' option.
 
    An _interactive_ shell is one started without non-option arguments,
 unless '-s' is specified, without specifying the '-c' option, and whose
 input and output are both connected to terminals (as determined by
 'isatty(3)'), or one started with the '-i' option.  Interactive
 Shells, for more information.
 
    If arguments remain after option processing, and neither the '-c' nor
 the '-s' option has been supplied, the first argument is assumed to be
 the name of a file containing shell commands (Shell Scripts).
 When Bash is invoked in this fashion, '$0' is set to the name of the
 file, and the positional parameters are set to the remaining arguments.
 Bash reads and executes commands from this file, then exits.  Bash's
 exit status is the exit status of the last command executed in the
 script.  If no commands are executed, the exit status is 0.
 

Info Catalog bash: Bash Features bash: Bash Startup Files