Bash
/bash/ · noun · Development · Origin: 1989
Definitions
The Bourne Again Shell, the default command-line interpreter on most Linux distributions and macOS. Bash scripts are the glue of Unix system administration, automating everything from deployment pipelines to log rotation, though its quirky syntax and error handling make complex scripts notoriously fragile.
In plain English: The command-line program that lets you type commands on Linux and Mac computers, and write scripts to automate tasks.
Example: The deploy script is 400 lines of Bash held together by prayer and liberal use of 'set -euo pipefail.'
Origin Story
The Bourne Again Shell: a pun that's been running since 1989
Brian Fox wrote Bash for the GNU Project in 1989 as a free replacement for the **Bourne shell** (sh), written by Stephen Bourne at Bell Labs in 1979. The name **Bash** stands for **Bourne Again SHell** -- a pun on "born again."
The Bourne shell was the default Unix shell, but it was proprietary. Richard Stallman and the Free Software Foundation needed a free alternative for their GNU operating system. Fox implemented a shell that was compatible with sh but added features like command-line editing, job control, and shell functions.
Bash became the default shell on virtually every Linux distribution and macOS (until Apple switched to zsh in 2019). Today, most shell scripts on the internet begin with `#!/bin/bash`, making it arguably the most widely used command-line interface in history.
Coined by: Brian Fox
Context: GNU Project, 1989
Fun fact: Apple switched macOS's default shell from Bash to Zsh in 2019, partly because newer versions of Bash use the GPLv3 license, which conflicts with Apple's policies on tivoization. macOS still ships Bash 3.2 from 2007.