Re: login shell VS interactive shell

[Raf Czlonka <rjc@linuxstuff.pl>]

On Thu, Oct 13, 2011 at 10:49:24PM BST, Joao Ferreira Gmail wrote:
> Hello all,
> 
> I read a text about bash that mentions a difference between "login
> shell" and "interactive shell".
> 
> I'm affraid I don not know the difference. Can anyone enlighten me ?

Login shell is the shell executed at logon, the one in /etc/passwd.
Interactive shell is the one which user interacts with - it can be,
but doesn't have to, be the same as the login shell.

> text I read was:
> 
> "When Bash starts executes the commands in a variety of different
> scripts. When started as an interactive login shell: Bash reads and
> executes the /etc/profile (if it exists). After reading that file, it
> looks for ~/.bash_profile, ~/.bash_login, and ~/.profile in that order,
> and reads and executes the first one (that exists and is readable). When
> a login shell exits: Bash reads and executes ~/.bash_logout (if it
> exists). When started as an interactive shell (but not a login shell):
> Bash reads and executes ~/.bashrc (if it exists)."


You can run bash, other shells as well if they support it, both as login
and interactive shell, even after you logged on.

man bash

options '-l' and '-i'

Regards,
-- 
Raf