Exploring the latest version of the great Bourne-again shell
A Good Bash
© yewkeo, 123RF
Despite the Bourne-again shell's biblical age and high level of maturity, developers continue to work on it. We take a look at the latest Bash release.
Despite recent competition from powerful alternatives such as Zsh [1], the Bourne-again shell (Bash) [2] is still the king of the hill on the Linux console. Users can use Bash interactively, and it also serves as a simple yet practical scripting language. Bash is part of the backbone of any working Linux system – all the more reason to investigate the benefits of upgrading to the new Bash 4 release, which appeared February 2009.
Why or Why Not?
On production systems, you might want to consider whether it is really necessary to upgrade to Bash 4. The major distributions will eventually spread the new version through their own updates, so the new Bash will reach you someday whether you download and install it or not. Programmers and many power users, on the other hand, like to embrace the goodies a new version offers as quickly as possible.
If you want to get a head start on new Bash features that are making their way to the next generation of Linux systems, you'll enjoy spending some quality time with Bash 4.
[...]
Buy Linux Magazine
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters
Digital Autonomy
• The Answer Was Already on the Shelf
• Changing the Chip Industry: How Public Investment Has Grown Open Silicon
• United Nations Open Source Portal Goes Live
• EU Open Source Strategy Plays Key Role in Tech Sovereignty Package
• France Says “Au Revoir” to Microsoft
Support Our Work
Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.
News
-
Pine64 Halts Production of Linux Devices
With continued DRAM and eMMC shortages, Pine64 has decided to discontinue production of Linux devices.
-
The Bullet-Proof KDE Software Initiative Is Coming
KDE, Techpaladin, and Kubuntu Focus have announced a new initiative that will provide at least three years of support for KDE Plasma 6.6 LTS and related software.
-
Linux Mint Shares a Possible Kernel Cleanup Solution
For those on Linux Mint who like to keep multiple kernels around but don't want them to take up too much space, you might be getting a new automated tool.
-
CachyOS Gets an Update
CachyOS August 2026 release is now available with the latest version of KDE, some new features, and plenty of improvements.
-
The Linux Kernel Dev Staging Area Now Rejects AI-Generated Patches
Unless a kernel patch is a valid security fix, it will be rejected if it was created using AI.
-
Linux Surpasses Double-Digit Market Share
According to two sources, the Linux operating system has hit a major milestone in market share that naysayers thought would never happen.
-
AI Helped Develop a Linux Exploit
A use-after-free race exploit was discovered and exploited on CentOS Stream 9.
-
Yet Another Linux Kernel Vulnerability Discovered
Affecting millions of systems, a kernel flaw discovered by Qualys could allow users to gain root privileges.
-
Ubuntu 26.10 to Include Ubuntu Certified Hardware Check
If you've ever wondered if your laptop or PC is officially certified to run Ubuntu, that curiosity will soon be met.
-
Substantial Update to IPFire Now Available
The lastest version of IPFire features a fundamental change to how the system handles DNS.