Hey tech enthusiasts! This post is about to the most popular shell, packed with features and customization for Termux. Supercharge your cli experience!
What Is Shell?
In Unix-like OS the shell refers to the command-line interface where you can interact with the Linux environment and execute commands.
Even Android also uses Shell. The default Shell in Android is sh (/sysem/bin/sh). You can access it using any Terminal Emulator.
Termux is an Android terminal emulator and Linux environment app that allows users to run a lightweight Linux distribution on their Android devices.
By default, Termux uses the Bash shell, which is a popular shell used in many Unix-like systems.
Most Popular Shell For Termux
There are other popular shells such as the C Shell, Korn Shell, Z Shell, and even the Fish Shell. All of these different shell environments have their own pros and cons, and you should consider them before you choose one to use on your own system.
In this artical we will see few popular shells along with their main features to help you pick one.
1. Bash Shell
The Bash Shell (Bourne Again SHell) is a UNIX shell and command language. It is one of the best open-source shells available for Linux. It is replacement for the sh (Bourne SHell).
The Bash Shell is widely used Shell and is default Shell for most Linux Distribution and Termux for Android. It was the default Shell in MacOS.
Bash is also a Scripting Language and primary choise for Shell Script.
Features
- Most users use Bash.
- It has shopt setting.
- Promot has backslash escapes.
- User configuration settings are in $HOME/.bashrc
- Incredible command-line editing
- Contains job control mechanisms to deal with Cron jobs specifically.
- Smoothly performs large series of integer arithmetic; can take from base 2 up to base 64.
- Unlimited size-indexed arrays and command history.
Installation
Bash can be your long-term shell option, as it comes with sample documentation and is recommended by Linux professionals.
Bash is Default Shell so you don’t need to install it.
2. Zsh Shell
The Z SHell, or Zsh is also a UNIX shell that is very similar to Bash. Zsh or Z-Shell is a modern-day shell designed to be innovative and interactive by offering unique features. offers scripting features and is customizable, easy-to-use, and offers command completion, spelling correction, and more.
Zsh is an extension of the Bourne shell with a lot of improvements. It has some features that Bash, Korn Shell, and C Shell share.
macOS by default uses the Zsh Shell now.
- Supports inline wildcard expressions.
- Much more configurable than Bash
- Supports plugins and themes. Here’s a list of plugins available for Zsh.
- Fantastic auto-completion functionality for files and paths.
- Command history sharing mechanism.
- Concept index, functions index, key index, and variable index.
- Various interactive features, such as smart escaping, spelling correction, recursive globbing, and more.
There are also frameworks built around the Z Shell. One of the most popular ones is Oh My Zsh, which is a community driven, open-source framework for managing Zsh configuration.
Zsh and Oh My Zsh are similar but not the same exact things. To reiterate, Oh My Zsh is a way of managing your Zsh configurations, it is not the Shell itself.
Installation
pkg upd
pkg i zsh
To access Zsh Shell type…
zsh
3. Fish Shell
Fish is Friendly Interactive SHell. Fish is a UNIX shell environment with an emphasis on interactivity and usability. Fish is a great choice for new Linux users, as this shell uses color-coding to help new programmers.
- Provides auto-suggestions and web-based configuration. As you type it suggest most used command as well as file or directory path that you can select it by left arrow. Other possible option can be browse by Tab key.
- Fish also prefers features as commands rather than syntax. This makes features visible in terms of commands with options and help texts.
- Since Fish by default comes with a lot of configurations already set, it is believed to be more beginner friendly than other bash options like Zsh.
- Fish’s scripting language is different than Zsh and Bash. Zsh uses more aliases whereas Fish avoids using aliases in the scripting language.
Installation
pkg upd
pkg i fish
To access Fish Shell type…
fish
Conclusion
Bash, Z Shell, and Fish Shell all have their merits, along with some similarities. You can use each of them effectively in your work environment now that you know a bit more about them.
- If you want the classic feel, you can just keep Bash.
- If you want something more configurable, you could use Zsh (or even install Oh My Zsh).
- If you want more of an interactive terminal experience without a lot of configuration, you could use Fish Shell.
It all really comes down to your preferences as a developer – so just choose the shell that works best for you.
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