Macos change default shell. With the release of macOS Catalina 10.

Macos change default shell Jan 11, 2017 · Explains how to set or change shell to bash (Bourne-again shell) on a Linux, macOS, FreeBSD, and Unix-like OS using the chsh command. Source:https://support. 15 on 7th October 2019 Apple made zsh as the default shell. There are several reasons you might want to do this. This page explains how to set up bash as your default login shell and interactive shell on macOS Catalina, “Big Sur” and above. Go to the Terminal app on your Mac. Terminal. Make sure you press Command + , while your terminal is open and change the 'Shells open with' option to 'Default login shell. The following sections explain both methods. To change shell to zsh from bash: Changing the default shell to bash on macOS is a straightforward process that can be done in just a few simple steps. Now when I am trying to check the shell type, I am getting different responses. com/en-gb/HT208050Operating System:macOS Ventura 13 Nov 27, 2021 · ## Setting the default browser while opening the browser With Chrome and most Chromium based browsers, you can open the app from the command line and pass an argument to make it the default browser at the same time. If you used Homebrew to install fish on a macOS or if you used the Mac installer available on fishshell. Jan 15, 2021 · Every new Mac uses the (Zsh) by default, but you can quickly and easily switch the default shell back to Bash. sh in Jun 6, 2009 · What is the correct OSX way of changing a users default shell? When I googled for it I found several references to an application called NetInfo Manager but I couldn't find it on my system. This post is going to describe how to switch from the zsh shell to the bash shell. Click Terminal in the top bar next to the Apple menu. app but following the instructions below sets your default shell across the entire system for all terminal Aug 4, 2025 · Key Takeaways ZSH provides significant productivity improvements over default shells through auto-completion, syntax highlighting, and plugin support Installation is straightforward across all major operating systems using package managers Setting ZSH as your default shell requires the chsh command and a session restart The . However, this behavior is different from other Unix systems, and may cause confusion for users who are used to the behavior of those systems. Apr 19, 2023 · Did you know that you can change the shell that you use in Terminal on your Mac? Learn how in this guide. Change the default shell in Terminal on Mac The default shell is zsh. In a networked environment, a system administrator can specify the default shell. zshrc change your default shell to bash through chsh -s /bin/bash It's also possible to do this via the GUI but if you're already in Terminal, this is quicker. . Apr 17, 2023 · How to change the default shell in MacOS How to run chsh -s /bin/zsh [Re-Titled by Moderator] MacBook Air 13″, macOS 11. In this tutorial we will learn to change default shell to bash on macOS Catalina 10. The reason behind the switch, among other reasons, includes avoiding licensing obligations of GPLv3 Change General settings in Terminal on Mac Use General settings in Terminal to change the default window settings and the type of shell that’s used when a new window is opened in Terminal. Sep 6, 2023 · I felt comfortable using bash shell on MacOS. Jun 4, 2019 · Starting with macOS Catalina, Macs will now use zsh as the default login shell and interactive shell across the operating system. Actually, it doesn't set the default shell, just the one you use for that session. This matches the behavior of other terminal emulators on macOS, most notably the default Terminal. Sep 21, 2020 · How to change iTerm2 shell via CLI? I want to change the user's iTerm2 preferences. Whether you’re a developer, a system administrator, or simply someone who prefers the Bash shell over the Zsh shell (the default for macOS Catalina and later), this comprehensive guide will walk you through the process, explain the 42 These are applicable to macOS v10. app' on a stock MacOS system, your connected to the systems pseudo TTY which in turn launches your users default shell. 7 Posted on Apr 17, 2023 11:11 AM 􁂫 Top-ranking reply Jul 22, 2025 · How to install and switch your default shell to Fish Shell on macOS Sequoia Apr 19, 2023 · Did you know that you can change the shell that you use in Terminal on your Mac? Learn how in this guide. 42 ( Ghostty respects the macOS traditions and will start each shell as a login shell. 15). Jun 3, 2021 · Quick and simple instructions to change default shell to bash macOS Big Sur instead of the zsh. I have tried to change it into ZSH by command chsh -s /bin/zsh. This comprehensive guide will walk you through configuring environment variables, managing shell profiles, and setting up aliases for optimal productivity. Nov 30, 2021 · 8 In Mac OS Catalina default interactive shell is zsh. Jun 26, 2023 · Fish (Friendly Interactive SHell) is a Unix shell designed to be user-friendly and interactive. Navigate to the General tab (if you’re not taken there directly). Nov 16, 2023 · Sharing my notes on setting up the fish shell on macOS, including customizations like plugins, themes, and abbreviations. zshrc configuration file controls all ZSH behavior and customization Dec 17, 2019 · Zsh is the new default shell used in macOS Catalina and later. It features syntax highlighting, autosuggestions Mar 24, 2025 · creating a backup admin user with a macOS-supplied login shell (to protect against the risk of accidentical deletion of the Homebrew version or the symlink), using brew pin bash to prevent unexpected updates (to protect against the very low bitcoiner risk), and update manually if required. I've taken a snapshot of iTerm2's preferences: Apr 18, 2020 · 0 Since macOS Catalina, zsh is the default shell instead of bash. To change your account's default shell, you need to run two commands. Dec 18, 2018 · When you click on 'Terminal. Change bash without making it default shell Mac Asked 8 years, 5 months ago Modified 2 years, 6 months ago Viewed 2k times Jun 10, 2023 · Even before the switch to zsh an ancient version of bash would be shipped with macOS so it was not uncommon to change the default shell already. (eg, sudo can use powershell then) To change your shell to Bash on a Mac, you can use the following command in the Terminal: chsh -s /bin/bash Understanding Shells on macOS A shell is a program that provides an interface for users to interact with the operating system. Find out how this impacts Terminal and your existing shell scripts. macOS Mojave and earlier (10. Of note, this location is macOS Catalina and later (10. Tap on the link above to learn more. From macOS, Big Sur Apple is shipping zsh as the default shell but there is still an option available to use the bash shell. So changing ~/. app can be told to launch a process other than your users default shell (eg, powershell), but there are a few cases where if you might want to replace your shell system-wide. While Zsh is a powerful and feature-rich shell, some users might prefer Bash for its simplicity, familiarity, or compatibility with existing scripts and tools Before we can configure zsh as the default shell, we first need to make sure it is installed on your system. 15. Recent versions of MacOS or OS X should include zsh out of the box. This is typically set by the default bash prompt, which many users find useful but may want to customize for a more personalized or informative terminal experience. ” Open the “Accounts”/“Users & Groups” preference pane and unlock the preference pane if applicable. As you can see above, I was on the bash shell ($) before and typing zsh switched me to Z Shell (%) ️ Since macOS Catalina Zsh is the default shell, you might see "The default interactive shell is now zsh. There w Dec 29, 2018 · Open a new Terminal window or open a new window with the specific profile you set zsh for, you’ll now have zsh as your default This change to zsh as the default shell will persist between quitting and relaunching Terminal, though any currently active shells or terminal windows would need to refresh or manually enter zsh. See article. Before Starting You should be familiar with using the macOS Terminal command line. Nov 21, 2022 · To change a user account’s default shell on macOS, simply run the chsh -s (change shell) command in a Terminal window. Via Terminal Using the terminal to switch from Zsh to Bash on macOS is a short and straightforward procedure. x so I decided to update bash via: brew install bash Brew places the new bash under /usr/local/Cellar/bash: brew info bash bash: stable 4. Jan 10, 2025 · How to Change the Default Shell to Bash on macOS Changing the default shell to Bash on macOS is a task that many users may need to perform for various reasons. A custom shell path can be set in terminals such as Kitty, Alacritty and the default Terminal. 3. With the release of macOS Catalina 10. 14-) See Apple Support page, Use zsh as the default shell on your Mac Surprisingly this doesn't work with the command line tools as one would expect. " message when you switch from zsh to bash. bash_profile doesn't help; you either need to change your zsh profile through open ~/. If the change shell command didn't work, something is blocking it. 5 (Sierra) (16F73) and probably some other recent and upcoming versions of macOS. On the user you wish to change the shell, control +click or right click on the user and choose “Advanced Options…” Where it says “Login Shell:” change this to the shell you wish to use. Follow the steps below to replace Zsh with Bash: 1. However, Apple replaced Bourne Again SHell with Z shell for licensing reasons. Sep 29, 2009 · To do this using the Mac OS X GUI: Open “System Preferences. COMMAND-1 input Sep 23, 2023 · Change default shell to zsh (Z shell) Install Oh My Zsh Configure zsh theme Install zsh-autosuggestions and zsh-syntax-highlighting plugins (bonus) Install anaconda (bonus) Install Homebrew and Sep 24, 2021 · The default interactive shell is now zsh because I change the default scripting language from zsh to bash. Use Shell settings in Terminal to change the startup or exit behavior of the shell for a Terminal window profile. com to install fish, type the following two commands in Warp: I am running El Capitan 10. I typically use the bash shell on Linux servers, so I prefer using it on my Mac. Jan 8, 2023 · Terminal Preferences are not required to set the default shell. apple. For example, you may need to be using the bash shell to . Choose Terminal > Settings, then click General. Default shell in my mac was bash. Changing the bash prompt involves modifying the PS1 environment variable. 11. The terminal prompt in macOS displays information like the username, hostname, and current directory. More info: [MacOS] Change default shell script zsh to bash) How to change default shell on you Mac. 15+) Apple replaced bash with zsh as the default shell for new user accounts. It has more or less the same effect but if you want to change the default shell back to bash, run the following command in Terminal. app. Mar 26, 2024 · To set bash as your default login shell and interactive shell on macOS, follow these steps: Open the Terminal app. Jan 10, 2025 · How to Change the Default Shell to Bash on macOS macOS has come a long way in terms of shell usage and command-line operations. Select Settings from the drop-down menu. ' Mar 26, 2024 · With macOS Catalina, Apple switched from using bash as the default terminal shell to Zsh. chsh is not enough to change the default shell. To change these settings in the Terminal app on your Mac, choose Terminal > Settings, then click General. macOS has undergone a significant change in its default shell environment. Next to “Shells open with,” select “Command (complete path),” then enter the complete path to the shell you want to use. Therefore, all those ~/. Apr 26, 2025 · This tutorial will help you for switching between Zsh and Bash on macOS systems. You could try setting the default shell in your user account. Dec 29, 2021 · Recent versions of macOS now use zsh as the default command line shell. This needs to be done with Jun 21, 2025 · Setting up your macOS shell environment properly is crucial for an efficient development workflow. Jun 21, 2025 · Since macOS Catalina, Apple has made Zsh the default shell, replacing Bash. com Jun 8, 2023 · For a long time, the bash was a default shell in macOS. Jul 22, 2019 · The previous section changes which shell the Terminal opens with however it doesn’t actually change the default shell back to bash. bash_profile changes are not going to change the default when you open a new terminal since the new terminal is a zsh shell and not a bash shell. This will be necessary if you want the default shell to be different when logging in with SSH or telnet. 12. You can change the shell that new Terminal windows and tabs open with. 3 with bash version 3. You can verify the default shell by typing echo $0 in the terminal. By default, Apple switched the default shell from Bash to Zsh (Z shell) starting with macOS Catalina (10. Aug 7, 2021 · change your macOS user default shell to the shell you want to use, and then leave iTerm2's setting (Profiles -> General -> Command) as simply "Login Shell" in the drop-down Oct 24, 2022 · fish is a smart and user-friendly command line shell for macOS, Linux, and the rest of the family. Why? Can I switch it back? If so, how? Does it make sense to do so? Any gotchas? Aug 2, 2023 · How to Change Zsh to Bash on Mac? Change the default terminal shell in macOS using the CLI or the System Preferences GUI. Dec 27, 2023 · In this comprehensive guide, you‘ll learn: The history behind shells on Mac OSX and why Zsh became the default Key reasons for switching from Zsh to Bash Step-by-step instructions for changing shells How to customize Bash to suit your workflows Tips for avoiding issues down the road Ready to unlock the power of Bash on Mac? Let‘s get started! A Brief History of Shells on MacOS To Mar 21, 2012 · Change a User Default Login Shell in Mac OS X You can also change the default shell through the command line itself using the chsh command, which is shorthand for ‘change shell’. Since macOS Catalina, Apple has made Zsh the default shell, replacing Bash. It acts as a bridge between the user and the system’s services. It covers an overview of both shells, the steps for setting them up, methods for transitioning between them, and tips for customizing your shell environment. It offers features like syntax highlighting, autos Feb 13, 2020 · Set as default terminal To set iTerm2 as the default terminal on macOS, you can do the following: Find a file in Finder Right-click on it Select Get Info Expand the Open With tab Choose iTerm2 from the dropdown menu Click Change All Terminal to open iTerm2 To open iTerm2 when you try to open default Terminal app on macOS, you have to do the following: Create a bash file called open_iterm. But Catalina replaced it with zsh. See full list on howtogeek. On macOS, the default shell is Zsh, introduced in macOS Catalina. Oct 25, 2022 · To change the default shell which is zsh to another such as bash, sh, ksh, csh, dash or tcsh you can either use the Terminal or System Settings on macOS Ventura, Change default shell using macOS Ventura System Settings Click on the Apple Icon on the menu bar, Now select System Settings, Select Users & Groups from the left sidebar, Control-click (right-click) on your User, You will be prompted Change the default shell in Terminal on Mac The default shell is zsh. Starting from macOS Catalina, zsh replaced bash as the default shell on Mac for it is most compatible with bash and closer to bash's functionality. While Zsh offers many modern Change the default shell in Terminal on Mac The default shell is zsh. Mar 9, 2024 · Set macOS Default Browser Using CLI Every time I attempt to switch the default web browser on macOS, I get this prompt: With the help of defaultbrowser command-line tool, I am able to quickly Nov 27, 2025 · I guess that's part of the reason why they want to change the macOS default shell. To change these settings in the Terminal app on your Mac, choose Terminal > Settings, click Profiles, select a profile, then click Shell.