Is Mac using zsh or Bash?

Does Mac use bash or zsh

Finding your current shell

Starting with macOS Catalina (10.15), Apple set the default shell to the Z shell (zsh). In previous macOS versions, the default was Bash. Each shell supports a configuration file in your macOS Home folder that gets read every time you open a new terminal window (or tab).

Is Mac using zsh

For many years following the launch of the first version of Mac OS X, the default shell in Terminal was the Bourne shell, also known as bash. In macOS Catalina, the default changed to the Z shell, also known as zsh.

Does macOS still use bash

For a long time, the bash was a default shell in macOS. However, Apple replaced Bourne Again SHell with Z shell for licensing reasons. This page explains how to set up bash as your default login shell and interactive shell on macOS Catalina, “Big Sur” and above.

Why does Apple use zsh instead of bash

Not all shells are equal.

One of the primary reasons why Apple switched to zsh is because it is closer to the functionality of the standard bash. If you are familiar with the standard bash, you will be glad to know that there is an Apple ZSH prompts which looks similar to the one you will find in Microsoft Outlook.

Should I use zsh or bash

Zsh is more interactive and customizable than Bash. Zsh has floating-point support that Bash does not possess. Hash data structures are supported in Zsh that are not present in Bash. The invocation features in Bash is better when comparing with Zsh.

Is it better to use bash or zsh

You'll find some commands that bash handles better and some that zsh handles better. Zsh is usually more precise, but sometimes gives up where bash does something that isn't correct but is sensible.

Should I use zsh or Bash

Zsh is more interactive and customizable than Bash. Zsh has floating-point support that Bash does not possess. Hash data structures are supported in Zsh that are not present in Bash. The invocation features in Bash is better when comparing with Zsh.

Which shell does Mac use

Mac's default shell is either zsh (Z shell) or bash (Bourne-again Shell). This default shell is determined by the version of macOS you're running. For macOS Mojave and earlier, the default shell is bash. For macOS Catalina and later, the default shell is zsh.

Why did Apple stop using bash

Long story short — licensing. Newer versions of Bash are licensed under the GPLv3 (GNU General Public License version 3) which says you can't use it on a system that blocks 3rd party software installation. That's the reason why macOS stuck with 3.2. 57 version released under GPLv2 which dates back to 2007.

Is zsh faster than bash

output and subshell

The ksh and zsh seems about seven times faster than bash . The ksh excelled in 17 tests and the zsh in six tests.

What shell does Mac use

Mac's default shell is either zsh (Z shell) or bash (Bourne-again Shell). This default shell is determined by the version of macOS you're running. For macOS Mojave and earlier, the default shell is bash. For macOS Catalina and later, the default shell is zsh.

Why do people use zsh

In Zsh, commands history is shared across shells, which improves auto-completion's user experience. Zsh also has auto-correction feature inbuilt. If you type too fast and make a typo, it may suggest an alternative correct command. Zsh is more configurable and has more options to build fancy user prompts.

When did Mac switch to zsh

Starting with macOS Catalina, Macs will now use zsh as the default login shell and interactive shell across the operating system. All newly created user accounts in macOS Catalina will use zsh by default.

Will Apple remove bash

Bash will still be available, but Apple is signaling that developers should start moving to zsh on macOS Mojave or earlier in anticipation of bash eventually going away in macOS.

Is zsh built on bash

Zsh is built on top of bash thus it has additional features. Zsh is the default shell for macOS and Kali Linux. Zsh provides the user with more flexibility by providing various features such as plug-in support, better customization, theme support, spelling correction, etc.