Notes on the bash shell

Setup environment variables

To make the programs we use behave as we would like, we’ll have to setup the environment variables in bash. These variables has to be set up in the files, .bash_profile and .bashrc . .bash_profile gets read when we start Terminal.app from the dock or finder. .bashrc is read whenever we start a new shell from the commandline writing bash, or when we open a new Terminal.app window.

Example .bash_profile

# .bash_profile

# Get the aliases and functions
if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then
    . ~/.bashrc
fi

# User specific environment and startup programs
FORREST_HOME=$HOME/Documents/forrest
PATH=$HOME/bin:$FORREST_HOME/bin:/usr/local/bin:$HOME/Documents/gt/script:$PATH
BASH_ENV=$HOME/.bashrc

export BASH_ENV PATH FORREST_HOME
unset USERNAME
export CVS_RSH=ssh

#Locale-definisjon

# UTF-8
#######
export LANG=no_NO.UTF-8
export LOCALE=UTF-8
export LESSCHARSET='utf-8'

Examples to add to the .profile file

# .profile

# User specific aliases and functions

# Source global definitions
if [ -f /etc/bashrc ]; then
    . /etc/bashrc
fi

#alias-tillegg
alias em="emacs -nw" # if needed
alias l="less"
alias ll="ls -l"
alias la="ls -a"
alias lt="ls -lt"
alias lS="ls -lS"
alias up="cvs -q up"
alias who="who | sort"

Tweaking the shell

# Will display all alternatives for completion after one tab keypress
set show-all-if-ambiguous On

[the last command has nothing to do with 8-bit processing, but is a great timesaver compared to the default behaviour]