KornShell
KornShell (ksh) is a Unix shell and command language written by David Korn. It is backward-compatible with the Bourne shell and includes many features from Bash and C shell. KornShell is known for its interactive scripting and job control features.
KornShell (ksh) Interactive Unix Shell and Command Languages
KornShell (ksh) is a Unix shell and command language written by David Korn, offering backward-compatibility with the Bourne shell, features from Bash, and C shell. Utilize its interactive scripting and job control capabilities.
What is KornShell?
KornShell (ksh) is a Unix shell and command language written by David Korn in the early 1980s. It is backward-compatible with the Bourne shell and includes many additional features from the Bash and C shells.
Some key features of KornShell include:
- Interactive scripting and debugging
- Job control
- Command history and editing
- Alias and function definitions
- String editing operations
- Integer arithmetic operations
- Advanced test/conditional expressions
KornShell is designed to create shell scripts that are portable and powerful. It became especially popular for writing system administration scripts and complex shell programs. The interactive features for debugging scripts and its compatibility made it an attractive alternative to bash or csh for many developers and power users.
While it has been largely superseded by bash on Linux and zsh on macOS, KornShell continues to be used today on commercial Unix platforms like AIX, HP-UX, and Solaris. The license terms are also friendlier compared to bash. So if you need advanced scripting capabilities and POSIX/Unix compatibility, KornShell is still a good option to consider.
KornShell Features
Features
- Interactive shell and scripting language
- Compatible with Bourne shell (sh)
- Influenced features in Bash and Zsh shells
- Job control
- Command history and editing
- Aliases
- Functions
- Built-in arithmetic
- Associative arrays
- POSIX compliance
Pricing
- Open Source
- Free
Pros
Backward compatibility with Bourne shell
Powerful scripting capabilities
Rich feature set
Good performance
Available on most Unix/Linux systems
Cons
Not installed by default on some systems
Less user-friendly than Bash for interactive use
Less widespread adoption than Bash
Some platform differences in implementation
Official Links
Reviews & Ratings
Login to ReviewThe Best KornShell Alternatives
View all KornShell alternatives with detailed comparison →
Top Development and Scripting Languages and other similar apps like KornShell
Here are some alternatives to KornShell:
Suggest an alternative ❐
Zsh
Zsh (Z shell) is an extended version of the Bash shell for UNIX systems. It is highly customizable and includes many features aimed at interactive use, such as:Powerful themed auto-suggestions, completion, and correction while typing commandsSupport for directories and path expansion (globbing) with complex patternsSharing of command history across shellsLoadable...
Win-bash
Win-bash is an open-source command line interface and Linux environment for Windows. It provides a Bash shell and Linux-like tools and utilities to allow users to run Linux/UNIX commands natively on Windows.Key features of win-bash include:Bash shell and common Bash commandsCore Linux utilities like sed, awk, grep, etc.Standard UNIX/Linux file...
GNU Bourne Again SHell
GNU Bash (Bourne Again SHell) is a widely used command line shell and command language interpreter for Unix-like operating systems such as Linux and macOS. It is the default login shell for most Linux distributions and macOS. Bash provides powerful text processing capabilities using an extensible syntax for command composition...
Nu Shell
Nu Shell (also called Nushell or Nu) is an open source command shell and scripting language created by GitHub co-founder Jonathon Turner and released under the MIT license. It focuses on improving the command-line interface and workflow compared to traditional Unix shells like Bash or Zsh.Key features and goals of...
DASH Shell
DASH Shell is an open-source Linux shell and command language that emphasizes automation, customization, and productivity. It was created by Software Engineer João Dias and includes many quality-of-life features and improvements over other popular shells like Bash or Zsh.Some key features of DASH include:Intelligent autocompletion that learns from your usage...
The xonsh shell
The xonsh shell is a unique hybrid shell that combines features from Python as well as bash, zsh, and other traditional Unix shells. It works on Linux, Mac, and Windows systems.Some key features of xonsh include:Python powered - xonsh allows you to combine Python code inline with shell commands for...
Ergonomica
Ergonomica is a dynamic tiling window manager designed for Linux operating systems. It automatically tiles open application windows to optimize screen usage without manual configuration.Unlike traditional window managers that are mouse-oriented, Ergonomica utilizes keyboard shortcuts so that users can efficiently manage windows and workspaces. Its innovative dynamic tiling algorithm analyzes...
Closh
Closh is an open-source alternative to AWS CloudShell that provides an integrated shell for managing cloud resources. It is designed to simplify cloud operations by enabling users to easily access their various cloud accounts, resources, and tooling all from one easy-to-use command line interface.Some key features of Closh include:Unified access...
Rc - a shell
rc is a command line shell and scripting language developed in the late 1980s and early 1990s by Tom Duff as an alternative to the Bourne shell. Some key features and characteristics of rc:Simple and easy to use syntax, influenced by Plan 9's shellModular design allowing extensions through pluginsLightweight and...
Fshell
fshell is an open-source file manager and command line interface tool for Linux systems. It provides an interactive shell for carrying out various file management tasks like copying, moving, deleting, archiving, searching for files and directories, and more.Some of the key features of fshell include:Intuitive syntax for common file operations...
Elvish
Elvish is an open source shell and scripting language for Linux/UNIX systems. It aims to combine the interactivity and convenience of shells like bash or zsh with the rich features and programmability of scripting languages like Python or Ruby.Some key features of Elvish include:Expressive pipeline syntax for composability and readabilityRich...
Xiki
Xiki is a revolutionary command line interface and shell alternative for Linux, macOS, and Windows. It provides a new paradigm for interacting with structured data that is simpler and more flexible than traditional shells or GUIs.The core concept behind Xiki is the idea of 'place-oriented computing'. Instead of operating on...
Janetsh
Janetsh is an open-source, cross-platform command line shell and scripting language developed by Calvin Rose. It focuses on improving productivity through simplicity, ease of use, and extensibility.Some key features of Janetsh include:Familiar bash-like syntax that is easy to learn for shell usersAdvanced pipelines for chaining commandsFlexible autocomplete that learns as...
OverOS
OverOS is an open-source, Linux-based operating system developed by a non-profit organization called the Over Foundation. It is designed to provide strong privacy protections, security features, and extensive customization options for advanced users.Some key features of OverOS include:Built-in end-to-end encryption for communications like email and messagingAdvanced firewall and malware protection...
Eltclsh
eltclsh is an open source Linux shell and scripting language that focuses on security, automation, and devops capabilities. It builds on top of bash and aims to improve upon it in several key areas:Enhanced security features such as built-in sandboxing, authentication, and access controls.IDE features for rapid script development including...
