[linux] How to run a shell script on a Unix console or Mac terminal?

I know it, forget it and relearn it again. Time to write it down.

This question is related to linux bash macos shell unix

The answer is


First, give permission for execution:-
chmod +x script_name

  1. If script is not executable:-
    For running sh script file:-
    sh script_name
    For running bash script file:-
    bash script_name
  2. If script is executable:-
    ./script_name

NOTE:-you can check if the file is executable or not by using 'ls -a'


The file extension .command is assigned to Terminal.app. Double-clicking on any .command file will execute it.


To start the shell-script 'file.sh':

sh file.sh

bash file.sh

Another option is set executable permission using chmod command:

chmod +x file.sh

Now run .sh file as follows:

./file.sh

For the bourne shell:

sh myscript.sh

For bash:

bash myscript.sh

If you want the script to run in the current shell (e.g. you want it to be able to affect your directory or environment) you should say:

. /path/to/script.sh

or

source /path/to/script.sh

Note that /path/to/script.sh can be relative, for instance . bin/script.sh runs the script.sh in the bin directory under the current directory.


Little addition, to run an interpreter from the same folder, still using #!hashbang in scripts.

As example a php7.2 executable copied from /usr/bin is in a folder along a hello script.

#!./php7.2
<?php

echo "Hello!"; 

To run it:

./hello

Which behave just as equal as:

./php7.2 hello

The proper solutions with good documentation can be the tools linuxdeploy and/or appimage, this is using this method under the hood.


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