chsh (with examples)
Use Case 1: Set a specific login shell for the current user interactively
Code:
chsh
Motivation:
The motivation behind this use case is to easily change the default login shell for the current user. By running the chsh command without any arguments, the user is prompted to enter the path to the desired shell.
Explanation:
Running chsh without any arguments initiates an interactive session where the user is prompted to enter the desired login shell. The user needs to provide the path to the shell executable they want to use.
Example Output:
Password:
Changing the login shell for user <username>
Enter the new value, or press ENTER for the default
Login Shell [/bin/bash]: /usr/bin/zsh
In this example, the user entered /usr/bin/zsh as the new login shell.
Use Case 2: Set a specific login shell for the current user
Code:
chsh -s /usr/bin/zsh
Motivation: This use case is useful when you want to programmatically set a specific login shell for the current user without going through the interactive prompt. It allows for automation and scripting.
Explanation:
The -s option followed by the path to the desired shell executable allows you to set the login shell without user interaction. In this case, /usr/bin/zsh is set as the login shell for the current user.
Example Output:
Password:
Changing the login shell for user <username>
The command runs without any further output if the login shell is successfully changed.
Use Case 3: Set a login shell for a specific user
Code:
chsh -s /usr/bin/fish <username>
Motivation: This use case is useful when you need to change the login shell for a specific user other than the current user. It provides flexibility to configure different login shells for different users on a system.
Explanation:
By providing the username after the shell path, you can specify which user’s login shell you want to change. In this example, /usr/bin/fish is set as the login shell for the user specified by <username>.
Example Output:
Password:
Changing the login shell for user <username>
The command runs without any further output if the login shell is successfully changed.
Use Case 4: List available shells
Code:
chsh -l
Motivation: This use case allows you to quickly see the list of available shells on your system. It helps you determine which shells can be used as login shells when configuring user preferences.
Explanation:
The -l option lists all available shells that can be used as login shells. The list consists of the full paths to the shell executables.
Example Output:
Available shells:
/bin/bash
/usr/bin/sh
/usr/bin/zsh
/usr/bin/fish
The output provides a list of available shells on the system.
