Bash startup scripts

Bash startup scripts or files are used by the shell program /bin/bash to create a shell environment. Each script has a specific use and affects the login environment differently. Every subsequent script executed can override the values assigned by previous scripts.

The startup scripts used by Bash are.
1)  ~/.bashrc
2)  /etc/bashrc
3)  ~/.bash_profile
4)  ~/.bash_login
5)  ~/.profile
6)  /etc/profile
7)  /etc/profile.d/*

 

1)  ~/.bashrc

• User specific startup script.
• Used for setting Local variables, and defining Aliases and Functions.
• Called by the login process, during the creation of both Login shells and Non-Login shells.
• Calls the script /etc/bashrc.

 

2)  /etc/bashrc

• Global startup script.
• Used for setting Local variables, and defining Aliases and Functions.
• Called by the script ~/.bashrc, during the creation of both Login shells and Non-Login shells.
• Calls the scripts in the directory /etc/profile.d/, in case of Non-Login shells.

 

3)  ~/.bash_profile

• User specific startup script.
• Used for setting Environment variables and running Commands.
• Called by the login process, during the creation of Login shells.
• Calls the script ~/.bashrc.

 

4)  ~/.bash_login

• User specific startup script.
• Used for setting Environment variables and running Commands.
• Called by the login process, if ~/.bash_profile is not present, during the creation of Login shells.
• Maintained for compatibility with C shell and Tenex C shell startup script, ~/.login.

 

5)  ~/.profile

• User specific startup script.
• Used for setting Environment variables and running Commands.
• Called by the login process, if ~/.bash_profile and subsequently ~/.bash_login are not present, during the creation of Login shells.
• Maintained for compatibility with Bourne shell and Korn shell startup script, ~/.profile.

 

6)  /etc/profile

• Global startup script.
• Used for setting Environment variables and running Commands.
• Called by the login process, during the creation of Login shells.
• Calls the scripts in the directory /etc/profile.d/.

 

7)  /etc/profile.d/*

• Directory containing global startup scripts.
• Used for setting Environment variables and running Commands.
• Called by the script /etc/profile, during the creation of Login shells.
  Called by the script /etc/bashrc, during the creation of Non-Login shells.
  

 

 

 

It is recommended to view the following sections also.
Difference between Login shell and Non Login shell
Difference between Local Variables and Environment Variables