Name

builtin, alias, alloc, bg, bind, bindkey, break, breaksw, builtins, case, cd, chdir, command, complete, continue, default, dirs, do, done, echo, echotc, elif, else, end, endif, endsw, esac, eval, exec, exit, export, false, fc, fg, filetest, fi, for, foreach, getopts, glob, goto, hash, hashstat, history, hup, if, jobid, jobs, kill, limit, log, login, logout, ls-F, nice, nohup, notify, onintr, popd, printenv, pushd, pwd, read, readonly, rehash, repeat, sched, set, setenv, settc, setty, setvar, shift, source, stop, suspend, switch, telltc, test, then, time, trap, true, type, ulimit, umask, unalias, uncomplete, unhash, unlimit, unset, unsetenv, until, wait, where, which, while - shell builtin commands

Synopsis

builtin [-options] [args ...]

Description

Shell builtin commands are commands that can be executed within the running shell's process. Note that, in the case of csh(1) builtin commands, the command is executed in a subshell if it occurs as any component of a pipeline except the last.

If a command specified to the shell contains a slash ``/'', the shell will not execute a builtin command, even if the last component of the specified command matches the name of a builtin command. Thus, while specifying ``echo'' causes a builtin command to be executed under shells that support the builtin echo command, specifying ``/bin/echo'' or ``./echo'' does not.

While some builtin commands may exist in more than one shell, their operation may be different under each shell which supports them. Below is a table which lists shell builtin commands, the standard shells that support them and whether they exist as standalone utilities.

Only builtin commands for the csh(1) and sh(1) shells are listed here. Consult the appropriate manual page for details on the operation of any given builtin command under those shells. Users of other shells will need to consult the documentation supplied with the other shells.

Command

External csh(1) sh(1) alias Yes Yes Yes alloc No Yes No

bg

Yes Yes Yes bind No No Yes bindkey No Yes No break No Yes Yes breaksw No Yes No builtins No Yes No case No Yes Yes

cd

Yes Yes Yes chdir No Yes Yes command Yes No Yes complete No Yes No continue No Yes Yes default No Yes No dirs No Yes No

do

No No Yes done No No Yes

echo

Yes Yes Yes echotc No Yes No elif No No Yes else No Yes Yes

end

No Yes No endif No Yes No endsw No Yes No esac No No Yes eval No Yes Yes exec No Yes Yes exit No Yes Yes export No No Yes false Yes No Yes

fc

Yes No Yes

fg

Yes Yes Yes filetest No Yes No

fi

No No Yes

for

No No Yes foreach No Yes No getopts Yes No Yes glob No Yes No goto No Yes No hash No No Yes hashstat No Yes No history No Yes No

hup

No Yes No

if

No Yes Yes jobid No No Yes

jobs

Yes Yes Yes

kill

Yes Yes No limit No Yes No

log

No Yes No login Yes Yes No logout No Yes No ls-F No Yes No

nice

Yes Yes No nohup Yes Yes No notify No Yes No onintr No Yes No popd No Yes No printenv Yes Yes No pushd No Yes No

pwd

Yes No Yes read Yes No Yes readonly No No Yes rehash No Yes No repeat No Yes No sched No Yes No

set

No Yes Yes setenv No Yes No settc No Yes No setty No Yes No setvar No No Yes shift No Yes Yes source No Yes No stop No Yes No suspend No Yes No switch No Yes No telltc No Yes No test Yes No Yes then No No Yes

time

Yes Yes No trap No No Yes true Yes No Yes type No No Yes ulimit No No Yes umask Yes Yes Yes unalias Yes Yes Yes uncomplete No Yes No unhash No Yes No unlimit No Yes No unset No Yes Yes unsetenv No Yes No until No No Yes

wait

Yes Yes Yes where No Yes No which Yes Yes No while No Yes Yes

See Also

csh(1) , echo(1) , false(1) , kill(1) , login(1) , nice(1) , nohup(1) , printenv(1) , pwd(1) , sh(1) , test(1) , time(1) , true(1) , which(1)

History

The builtin manual page first appeared in FreeBSD 3.4.

Authors

This manual page was written by Sheldon Hearn <sheldonh@FreeBSD.org>.

Table of Contents

• Name
• Synopsis
• Description
• See Also
• History
• Authors