| name | bash |
| description | bash syntax for live terminal execution and .sh script authoring on Linux, macOS, WSL2, and Git Bash: quoting, pipelines, backslash continuation, hash comments, and copy-paste-safe blocks. Use when running bash commands in a session or when writing or editing .sh shell scripts for Unix-like environments. |
bash
bash syntax for live session commands and .sh script files on Linux, macOS, WSL2, and Git Bash. Activate via terminal/SKILL.md after context detection.
Platform notes
| Environment | Signals | Caveats |
|---|
| Linux | uname -s = Linux | /bin/bash vs /usr/bin/bash |
| WSL2 | /proc/version contains Microsoft | Windows paths via /mnt/c/ |
| Git Bash | OSTYPE often msys | Path mixing, slower fork |
| macOS | uname -s = Darwin | Default login may be zsh — confirm if bashisms needed |
Details: platforms.md
Copy-paste rules (live)
- Comments:
# only
- Line continuation:
\ as last character on line (no trailing spaces)
- No prose inside fenced blocks
- Prefer
set -euo pipefail at top of scripts, not necessarily one-liner pastes
Multiline example:
docker run --rm \
-v "$(pwd):/work" \
-w /work \
alpine echo hello
Quoting
| Style | Use |
|---|
'single' | Literal string |
"double" | Expansion + quotes paths with spaces |
$(cmd) | Command substitution |
path="/data/my files/readme.md"
cat "$path"
Pipelines and redirection
command > file.txt
command >> file.txt
command 2>&1 | tee log.txt
command &> all.log
Inspect PATH and commands
type -a node
which git
echo "$PATH"
command -v python3
When command -v fails, suggest package manager install or PATH export. Document prereqs in CI/README snippets.
sudo and elevation
Default: do not use sudo in agent-suggested commands.
Offer sudo only when:
- User confirms admin is OK
- Operation genuinely needs root (system packages,
/etc, low ports)
See sudo-elevation.md. Always label Requires sudo blocks.
WSL from Windows host
wsl.exe -e bash -lc "cd /home/user/proj && npm test"
Route shell syntax inside bash -lc "..." to bash rules; outer wrapper may be PowerShell or cmd.
Script header
#!/usr/bin/env bash
set -euo pipefail
Copy-paste vs documentation
- Live: one fence, one target environment when known
- Docs: separate Linux, WSL2, macOS sections when install commands differ (apt vs brew)
Additional resources
