shopt
The shopt command stands for „shell options“ and is used to set or display shell configuration options. It’s a powerful tool that allows users to customize their shell experience, enabling features such as file name completion, spelling correction, and more.
What can I do with shopt?
With shopt, you can:
- Enable or disable specific shell options
- Display the current settings of various shell configurations
- Set or clear individual options
Some common options that can be enabled or disabled using shopt include:
cdspell: enables spelling correction for directory namescheckhash: checks the hash value of a command before executing ithistexpand: enables word expansion in history commandsglobstar: enables globbing (pattern matching) for filenames
Special hacks with shopt
- Customizing your shell: Use
shoptto set options that enhance your shell experience, such as enablingcdspellorcheckhash. - Debugging scripts: Temporarily enable debug mode using
shopt -u nullglobor other debugging-related options. - Automation: Use
shoptto automate tasks by setting shell options globally.
Who should know this?
This command is suitable for:
- Intermediate users: Those who have a solid grasp of basic Linux commands and want to customize their shell experience.
- Power users: Users who regularly use the shell and want to optimize their workflow with specific features enabled or disabled.
- System administrators: Admins may use
shoptto configure shell options globally, making it easier for other users on the system.
While beginners can benefit from knowing basic shell commands, they might find shopt a bit overwhelming at first. However, once you’ve mastered the basics and want to take your shell experience to the next level, understanding shopt is essential.