Check current shell mac Nov 12, 2025 · Check Which Domain Controller You Are Connected To You can check the logon server with either the command line or PowerShell. Jan 22, 2021 · Every Mac comes with a Unix shell that provides a command line interface. Whether you‘re writing scripts, managing systems, or troubleshooting issues, understanding your PowerShell version unlocks key insights. Note that one . To check what version of Python is installed on your Windows, Mac, or Linux computer, all you have to do is run a single command. Apr 28, 2016 · Using Terminal on OS X 10. In this comprehensive guide, Oct 6, 2023 · To check the Python version on Windows, Mac, or Linux, type "python --version" into PowerShell on Windows, or the Terminal on Linux or Mac. Put it in a function to use Aug 10, 2025 · Your Mac is blowing its fans heavier than normal, your cursor starts spinning, and you must wonder what’s happening under the hood of your system? Find out here how to view and check running Mac processes in macOS Terminal using “top” and “ps”. If you’re not sure which shell you’re using, there are a couple of ways to find out. ” Open the “Accounts”/“Users & Groups” preference pane and unlock the preference pane if applicable. Install-Module PnP. It is widely used by administrators and developers to automate tasks and manage systems. bashrc and . Quick installation available for Bash, Fish, ZSH, Ion, Tcsh, Elvish, Nu, Xonsh, Cmd, and Powershell. The above assumes that the running shell is a POSIX-compatible shell. profile may call another file, so you might have to inspect each of the files. How Can I Switch? mac terminal zsh bash homebrew beginner Finding your current shell Starting with macOS Catalina (10. May 8, 2024 · Explains various Bash shell commands to find or get IP addresses and other information such as routing and netmask on Linux/Unix systems. -or- Use WMI, for example: Get-WmiObject win32_networkadapterconfiguration | select description, macaddress Get-CimInstance win32_networkadapterconfiguration | select description, macaddress Sep 8, 2023 · If you want to know that is the current time at UTC/GMT on your Mac, you can make use of the Terminal app and run the date command along with the Timezone (TZ) as GMT or with a -u flag. Using the echo Command The echo command in Linux is used to display a line of text or string that is passed to it as an argument. bashrc or ~/. How to Switch from Zsh to Bash Shell on Mac The simplest way to switch from zsh to bash (or any other available shell) is simply typing its name in the Terminal as a command. How can I use Windows PowerShell to find the MAC address on my computer? Use the Getmac command-line reference. Jan 13, 2020 · Install the latest Bash shell on macOS with Homebrew and make it your default shell. Nov 7, 2014 · Summary: Easily find your MAC address with Windows PowerShell. PowerShell -Scope CurrentUser Nightly build If you want to install the latest nightly build prerelease of PnP PowerShell for the current user, run: Jan 18, 2021 · Environment variables contain values that help set up the system environment. $ git branch --show-current master (Added in git 2. Jan 11, 2025 · You can find the MAC address of all the network cards or network adapters using Powershell. Tagged with macos, cli, bash. Dec 19, 2010 · Is there any way to get the SSID of the current wireless network through a shell script on Mac OS X? Post-installation steps When you install Homebrew, it prints some directions for updating your shell’s config. This is typically set by the default bash prompt, which many users find useful but may want to customize for a more personalized or informative terminal experience. Why do you need bash as the interpreter? Nothing in the command line shown seems to be specific to any shell. Before that, Macs used the Bash shell by default. Changing the bash prompt involves modifying the PS1 environment variable. To see what shell is currently running - which may or may not be your default shell - use: # Prints something like '/bin/ksh' or '-zsh' # See bottom section if you always need the full path. Feb 13, 2025 · Linux / Unix find out what shell I am using - Learn how to check which shell am I using the command line options? Feb 13, 2025 · Linux / Unix find out what shell I am using - Learn how to check which shell am I using the command line options? Apr 26, 2025 · PowerShell is a powerful scripting language and shell framework developed by Microsoft. Below, we take a look at various Powershell directives that can be used to find the MAC address of a local or remote computer. I have a sample sh script in my Linux environment, which basically runs the ssh-agent for the current shell, adds a key to it and runs two Git commands: #!/bin/bash eval "$(ssh-agent -s)" Aug 19, 2016 · Mitul Sinha You need to run pwsh under the login and environment of an Admin user (a user that is a member of the "admin" UNIX group in OSX). Mar 28, 2022 · To check the version that your Python interpreter is running we can use a version command on the python command. Under the ZSH of macOS Catalina, by default, this is not Jun 16, 2025 · Find out how to check your PowerShell version using $PSVersionTable. Dec 22, 2020 · $ sudo nano /etc/shells Finally set as default. code2care@mac Jul 29, 2019 · How to restart my current MacOS terminal session without closing the window? In Linux I use exec bash but it does not work in this environment. Oct 3, 2023 · To check your PowerShell 7 version on Windows 10, just open up PowerShell 7 and look at the very first line in the window. 11. As PowerShell continues to evolve, new features, cmdlets, and improvements are introduced with each version. 15), the default shell on macOS is Zsh (Z shell). This variable allows you to display different pieces of Nov 15, 2023 · Knowing which version of PowerShell you have installed is crucial – but thankfully it‘s easy to find out! In this comprehensive guide, you‘ll learn multiple methods to get your exact PowerShell version number on Windows, Linux, and macOS. code2care@mac Aug 6, 2024 · Learn how to manage DHCP leases and reservations using PowerShell to optimize your network's performance. In this tutorial, we’ll look at various ways to find out the current shell we are working in. I would like to keep my . mac:~ code2care$ cat /etc/shells # List of acceptable shells for chpass(1). This tutorial covers essential tasks like avoiding IP conflicts, ensuring consistent IP assignments, enhancing security, and streamlining troubleshooting processes with PowerShell cmdlets. Use environment variables in Terminal on Mac The shell uses environment variables to store information, such as the name of the current user, the name of the host computer, and the default paths to any commands. Oct 24, 2016 · How to detect current locale in Mac OS X from the shell Asked 16 years, 8 months ago Modified 9 years, 1 month ago Viewed 28k times Dec 15, 2023 · Follow this tutorial to learn how to check your Python version in several different operating systems, including Windows, Linux, and macOS. Knowing which shell you are currently using is essential for several reasons. Jul 23, 2024 · The bash_profile is the key to unlocking powerful customizations and optimizations for your command line workflow on a Mac. Jul 28, 2012 · Is it possible to access the current user's name and email address from the command line in OS X? If so, how would it be done? Oct 8, 2025 · Want to know what version of macOS is installed on your Mac? Need to check the exact build number for macOS and don’t know where to look? Curious what the mysterious build numbers mean? Find out here how to locate and check the macOS version and build number of your Mac so you are in the know and ready for updates. As I understand it, inputting echo $SHELL should output the shell that said command is submitted Thank them for their help, and teach them that . However, the semi-official, “sanctioned” method has a… Jun 22, 2017 · How can I determine the OS type, (Linux, Windows) using Powershell from within a script? The ResponseUri isn't recognised when this part of my script is ran on a Linux host. Of note, this location is Mar 26, 2024 · You can check currently available shells on Mac by running the cat /etc/shells command from any location. Aug 7, 2015 · My second question is an example of disguising a shell. Aug 10, 2025 · Your Mac is blowing its fans heavier than normal, your cursor starts spinning, and you must wonder what’s happening under the hood of your system? Find out here how to view and check running Mac processes in macOS Terminal using “top” and “ps”. We‘ll […] Dec 27, 2023 · That‘s why I firmly believe directly displaying your current Git context in the terminal is a best practice everyone should adopt. Aug 10, 2025 · In this comprehensive guide, we will delve into these proven techniques, providing you with the knowledge to confidently determine your current shell across various Linux distributions and macOS. Mar 13, 2022 · A detailed guide to find out which shell you're using, and how to switch from one shell to another, such as from bash to zsh. Under the ZSH of macOS Catalina, by default, this is not Apr 26, 2025 · Starting from macOS Catalina (version 10. bash_profile (prompt, al Aug 16, 2019 · Hello Forum Unter Linux I was used that the full directory path was always shown in the shell/CLI. May 13, 2014 · I've been struggling with "PATH" issues while setting up Rails and other things on Mac for a long time now, and I can't get a straight answer about how I can just see my $PATH and change it. Learn how to view, set, and unset them in macOS. How can a shell/bash script detect whether it is running in Cygwin, on a Mac or in Linux? Mar 3, 2025 · This page shows various Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, NetBSD and Unix command to check my GNU bash version. Mar 25, 2025 · Bash (Bourne Again Shell), csh (C Shell), ksh (Korn Shell), and sh (Bourne Shell) are the most common ones. , whatshellisthis 488 I have a shell script that is used both on Windows/Cygwin and Mac and Linux. Is there a command to identify the name/type of current shell, the path to the shell binary, and the version of the shell? I don't need all of that, but the more I can get, the better. Fix Terminal not showing prompt or won't launch a shell. Before Catalina, the default shell was Bash (Bourne Again SHell). Is there an easy way by which I can tell which type of Unix shell I am in? A command that shows whether I am in a Bash, C shell, KornShell (ksh), tcsh, or Z shell (zsh)? E. You cannot do sudo id -un to get the name of the logged-in user (as id is more "what is the id of the user who's running the id command). I'm using OS X, but I assume that it would be the Jul 15, 2021 · No, that's about the current shell rather than the user's default shell. If you’re using macOS Catalina or a later version, your default shell is Zsh. Jan 31, 2013 · Continue to help good content that is interesting, well-researched, and useful, rise to the top! To gain full voting privileges, Nov 7, 2014 · Summary: Easily find your MAC address with Windows PowerShell. To view the Python 3 version, run "Python3 --version" instead. Check the man page or use strings (1) on the executable (or both) to look for all the possibilities, and look for the ones that exist on your system. Apr 13, 2013 · Is there an easy way to determine what shell I’m using in terminal? I’ve found several ways, from most to least reliable. If you read through that entire post, it’ll be obvious that it was actually an excuse to write about the deprecation of python 2 and /bin/bash and the situation with sh ‘compatible’ code. zshrc) to include this: Jan 21, 2017 · What is the shortcut to search my command history in macOS terminal? For how long is the history available for searching? Where is it stored?. On the user you wish to change the shell, control +click or right click on the user and choose “Advanced Options…” Where it says “Login Shell:” change this to the shell you wish to use. shell shipped since macOS Catalina and BigSur How to switch between shells in macOS? Simply type the shell name on the prompt. To do this, open the Terminal application (you can find Terminal in Applications > Utilities or search for it using Spotlight). We’ll review a few methods for adv… Jan 18, 2021 · Environment variables contain values that help set up the system environment. Perfect for macOS users! mac:~ code2care$ cat /etc/shells # List of acceptable shells for chpass(1). Each shell supports a configuration file in your macOS Home folder that gets read every time you open a new terminal window Sep 25, 2009 · For the vast majority of Mac OS X users, you will be using the Bash shell by default, which is both the standard in all recent versions of OS X and also one of the easier to use shells out there. On your Mac, change the default shell for Terminal in Terminal General settings. What shell is your Mac using? There’s an easy way to tell — here’s how. Which macOS is installed? Which versions of macOS are the latest? Check macOS compatibility Which macOS is installed? Jan 10, 2025 · Step-by-Step Guide to Changing the Default Shell to Bash Step 1: Check the Current Shell Before making any changes, it’s a good idea to confirm which shell you are currently using. Aug 16, 2019 · Hello Forum Unter Linux I was used that the full directory path was always shown in the shell/CLI. The following works in the four shells I have installed on my system (bash, zsh, csh, tcsh): First method $ ps -p $$ PID TT STAT TIME COMMAND 14143 0 Ss 0:00,03 -bash (bash) Second method $ echo $0 -bash Apr 7, 2020 · To see what current folder or directory you’re in, simply type the following inside the Mac Terminal: pwd Apr 19, 2023 · Did you know that you can change the shell that you use in Terminal on your Mac? Learn how in this guide. I made a few changes to the . It can help you understand the available features, customize your environment, and troubleshoot issues May 8, 2024 · Explains various Bash shell commands to find or get IP addresses and other information such as routing and netmask on Linux/Unix systems. 2. That’s all the msitery around the new defualt bashes on MacOS since Catalina to BigSur. g. See the following links for more help: What is the difference between a 'Login' and an 'Interactive' bash sh 28 To find your Mac's current internal IP address, run: ifconfig -l | xargs -n1 ipconfig getifaddr This is basically equivalent to ipconfig getifaddr en0, but more reliable! en0 is not always the current network interface! Thank you to @epylinkn in the comments of another answer for this hint. In fact, why even include the pipe through awk? As far as I can tell, your ps command is everything required to display the owner of the current shell's pid. Because accessing the command line prompt or terminal varies from system to system, this part of the tutorial is split across the different operating systems available to you. /bin/bash /bin/csh /bin/dash /bin/ksh /bin/sh /bin/tcsh /bin/zsh ️ Z Shell (Zsh) is the default. The problem is I have some OS specific aliases so I was looking for Feb 28, 2015 · 690 I read that terminal is nothing but shell, and Unix provides different flavors of shells: Bourne shell (sh) C shell (csh) TC shell (tcsh) Korn shell (ksh) Bourne Again shell (bash) Questions: When I open a terminal window, which shell is opened by default? How do I check how many shells are installed? How do I change the shell used from my Is there a way to find out which profile my shell is currently using? I can't seem to track it down, or at least it's not in any of the usual places. That makes id great for "what user is running my script", but not for admin duties. A shell interprets user commands, executes programs, and manages input and output. Option 1 – Using the set cmd command Open the command line, type the command below, and press enter set l In the screenshot above I authenticated to the DC2 domain controller. Feb 25, 2019 · I want the prompt to show the current 12 hour (not 24 hours) time live (so it keeps changing, and then when a command is made, save that time before going to the next prompt (so, without pressing enter / return on the keyboard). Aug 24, 2022 · How to check shell version on Mac Mac has bash and zsh the profile for bash and zsh is different, sometimes we want to change path on profile files, but in order to find which file to change, we Sep 29, 2009 · To do this using the Mac OS X GUI: Open “System Preferences. Extra tip, to check the version on your current shell version, type the shell name like bash or zsh followed of the -- version command: $ bash --version Sep 3, 2019 · …or, how to deal with deprecated bash and python… There are many solutions to get the current logged in user in macOS to use in a shell script. Macs running macOS 10. 4, initializing Terminal opens a new window running bash (by default). Feb 6, 2020 · I recently posted an article on how to get the current user in macOS. The terminal prompt in macOS displays information like the username, hostname, and current directory. Jun 16, 2025 · Find out how to check your PowerShell version using $PSVersionTable. Knowing your PowerShell version is crucial to ensure compatibility with scripts, modules, and features. 22 release in June 2019) It runs much faster as it doesn't need to iterate through all branches. 15 and later use Zsh by default. Environment variables are inherited by all commands executed in the shell’s context, and some commands depend on environment variables. 28 To find your Mac's current internal IP address, run: ifconfig -l | xargs -n1 ipconfig getifaddr This is basically equivalent to ipconfig getifaddr en0, but more reliable! en0 is not always the current network interface! Thank you to @epylinkn in the comments of another answer for this hint. Aug 5, 2025 · Fix the Terminal that's not working, responding, or opening on your Mac and explore the reasons. Ensure you're running the right version for scripts, modules, and system compatibility. Powershell offers quick and concise methods or directives to find the MAC address of network adapters. Jul 5, 2016 · Mac administrators may find themselves in a situation where they need to display a list of all user accounts on a particular Mac by way of the command line. Jun 16, 2023 · Looking for your IP or MAC address on Windows? Here's how you can use PowerShell to find out both. Nov 14, 2025 · In the Linux operating system, shells play a pivotal role as the command-line interface between users and the underlying system. Similarly git branch should be avoided too in the command prompt as it slows down your prompt if you have many local branches. It needs slightly different variables for each versions. We‘ll […] Jun 27, 2013 · In 2019, I think git branch --show-current is a better command than the accepted answer. # Ftpd will not allow users to connect who are not using # one of these shells. bash_login files in version control so that I can use them between all the computers I use. Jul 9, 2009 · This is an underrated answer. In previous macOS versions, the default was Bash. Jun 27, 2013 · In 2019, I think git branch --show-current is a better command than the accepted answer. You need to update your shell’s config file (which file exactly depends on your shell, for example ~/. Of course, no matter what version of macOS you’re using, you can . In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll explain multiple methods to easily see your current Git branch and folder paths right in the terminal. I want som Jul 23, 2024 · The bash_profile is the key to unlocking powerful customizations and optimizations for your command line workflow on a Mac. I think I understand the differences between an interactive, a login and a batch shell. To verify the current default shell on your macOS, you can open the Terminal app and enter the following command: Find out which macOS your Mac is using Use About This Mac to find out which Mac operating system (macOS) is installed on your Mac, and learn whether it's the latest (newest, most recent) version. To verify if a user account is member use the terminal command id username and check if the Group "admin" is listed (usually it has the numerical ID 80) Then switch to that user using the command sudo su - username *This command will prompt you for your Sep 8, 2021 · Setting the PATH on Mac permanently means your PATH environment variable changes aren’t limited to your current shell session, unlike the temporary variable settings. It prints the PowerShell version every time you open a new instance. Feb 10, 2025 · Master Mac Terminal with our cheat sheet: essential commands for file management, system monitoring, and networking. Here‘s what I‘ll cover: Why tracking branch/path avoids costly errors Key use cases showing importance of visibility Git I want to display the DNS servers that are used by the current network setup on OS X, from the command line. bashrc does not get read automatically on a Mac when you open up a new shell window. 15), Apple set the default shell to the Z shell (zsh). Nov 15, 2023 · Knowing which version of PowerShell you have installed is crucial – but thankfully it‘s easy to find out! In this comprehensive guide, you‘ll learn multiple methods to get your exact PowerShell version number on Windows, Linux, and macOS. 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. Jun 4, 2025 · How to Update Python on Mac Do you need to update Python on Mac but feel stuck in Terminal commands and version conflicts? MacKeeper’s Update Tracker can help simplify your upgrade routine by keeping all your tools current—no manual searching, no wasted time. What do you do if a script is executed by an interpreter executable whose name doesn't match the language that the interpreter interprets? If I take a copy of csh, rename it to fish and use it to run your script, do you want fish or csh? Starship is the minimal, blazing fast, and extremely customizable prompt for any shell! Shows the information you need, while staying sleek and minimal. Put it in a function to use Jan 11, 2025 · You can find the MAC address of all the network cards or network adapters using Powershell. If you don’t follow those directions, Homebrew will not work. wcwwp eomelfb pvejl gqhj gngvmfu wouf kawwf sfiaunda htd qeh wprkqr tzh fue abi jeelxek