Step by step example to change login shell using Linux chsh command.

   Using Linux chsh command on the bash shell command prompt to change login shell on Linux fedora core with example.  The article below show the step by step procedure to change shell for user on Linux Fedora Core operating system.

Linux command name:  chsh

Command Description:

   The Linux 'chsh' command is the command that usually used to change login shell on Linux operating system.

Command type:

   'file' disk file (external command)

   The example below demonstrate the use of Linux 'chsh' command to change the shell or login shell for user on the Linux system, all the example is execute on the Fedora Core Linux machine, the executed example may vary on for other Linux flavor.

What shell am I using?

   Below is the example on how to get information on the type of shell that you are using on the system.   The output of command below display your current shell.  Make sure you used this command to verify your shell changes.

[root@fedora ~]# echo $SHELL

/bin/bash

Get help for the cshs command.

The output of chsh command with the –help option below, prompt the usage of the chsh command.

[root@fedora ~]# chsh --help

Usage: chsh [ -s shell ] [ --list-shells ] [ --help ] [ --version ]

       [ username ]

Check type of shell available in the system.

   To list type of shell install and available on your Linux system.  The example below show the execution of  chsh commands to produce the same output that shows the number of different shell installed on the system.

[root@fedora ~]# chsh --list-shells

/bin/sh

/bin/bash

/sbin/nologin

/bin/ash

/bin/bsh

/bin/ksh

/usr/bin/ksh

/usr/bin/pdksh

/bin/tcsh

/bin/csh

/bin/zsh

or

[root@fedora ~]# chsh -l

/bin/sh

/bin/bash

/sbin/nologin

/bin/ash

/bin/bsh

/bin/ksh

/usr/bin/ksh

/usr/bin/pdksh

/bin/tcsh

/bin/csh

/bin/zsh

Step to change Linux login shell.

   The example below show the use of chsh command to change shell for current user.

[kambing@fedora ~]$ chsh

Changing shell for kambing.

Password:

New shell [/bin/bash]: /bin/csh

Shell changed.

[kambing@fedora ~]$ chsh -s /bin/bash

Changing shell for kambing.

Password:

Shell changed.

   The chsh command issue with no option and –s option with the full pathname of the desired shell, is used to change shell for the user and it will prompt user for their password (note: the password only prompt for non-root user).  In above example we change the shell to /bin/csh (C SHell) and to /bin/bash (Bourne-Again Shell).  NOTE: the changes will take effect after you logout and login again.

Step to change shell for other user.

[root@fedora ~]# chsh -s /bin/csh kambing

Changing shell for kambing.

Shell changed.

The example above show, the chsh command is issue by the root operator to change shell for another user in this case is for user kambing.

Need help or need more information use:

# info coreutils chsh

# man chsh

# chsh --help

Related:

1.  List of Linux Shell.

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