What is the difference between #!/bin/bash and #!/bin/sh?

mTorbin · 11-09-2005, 11:49 AM

This is in reference to cron jobs. I'm going to attempt to write my own cron into cron.monthly and some files use the /bash and others use /sh. Which one do I need and where? What is the difference?

Thanks,

- MT

acid_kewpie · 11-09-2005, 11:51 AM

they are just different shell interpreters, but they are very very close. you can use either and you'll be fine, but stick with sh for more compatability with other shells.

mTorbin · 11-09-2005, 11:55 AM

So the sh is newer, better, more compatabile or all three?

- MT

Ynot Irucrem · 11-09-2005, 12:00 PM

bash has more features, and includes everything provided by sh, hence sh is faster, but most distros got rid of sh completely and made /bin/sh a symlink to /bin/bash, so there won't be a difference.

mTorbin · 11-09-2005, 12:03 PM

Cool... thanks for the help.

- MT

reddazz · 11-09-2005, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mTorbin
So the sh is newer, better, more compatabile or all three?

- MT

sh is the original bourne shell so is older than bash, On most Linux distros /bin/sh is actually a symlink to /bin/bash.