Shells in CentOS 7
We support four shells which you may choose from and change between at any point in time:
| Shell | Description | Executes |
|---|---|---|
| /bin/bash | Bash: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bash_(Unix_shell) | ~/.bashrc |
| /bin/csh | C Shell: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_shell | ~/.cshrc |
| /bin/tcsh | tcsh: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tcsh | ~/.cshrc |
| /bin/ksh | Korn Shell: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Korn_shell | ~/.ksh |
CIMS default shell scripts
By default, all new CIMS accounts receive pre-made dot files in their home directories which correspond to each shell we support. That is, ~/.bashrc, ~/.cshrc, and ~/.kshrc. Each of these files begins by "sourcing" (importing and executing) the contents of some CIMS default values and actions. The start of your .bashrc file might look like:
#
# Get CIMS defaults
#
if [ -r /usr/local/lib/.system.bashrc ] ; then
. /usr/local/lib/.system.bashrc
fi
The referenced file is readable to all --- take a look to see what it does. Basically it executes some code and sets some variables which we feel are useful to CIMS users. For example, in order to use our module system (see Module System), your MODULEPATH variable must include "/usr/local/etc/modulefiles". Our default shell files set this variable.
What you choose to do is entirely up to you. Feel free to remove the reference to our system shell rc files, or expand and elaborate on them in your own shell rc files.
Changing your default shell
These days, all new CIMS accounts are created with /bin/bash as the default shell. You are free at any time to change this by executing /usr/local/bin/chsh. You will first be asked for your CIMS password, and then you can enter one of the paths to a shell listed above.