README

   1 Introduction
   2 ============
   3
   4 This is GNU Bash, version 2.05.  Bash is the GNU Project's Bourne
   5 Again SHell, a complete implementation of the POSIX.2 shell spec,
   6 but also with interactive command line editing, job control on
   7 architectures that support it, csh-like features such as history
   8 substitution and brace expansion, and a slew of other features.
   9 For more information on the features of Bash that are new to this
  10 type of shell, see the file `doc/bashref.texi'.  There is also a
  11 large Unix-style man page.  The man page is the definitive description
  12 of the shell's features.
  13
  14 See the file CWRU/POSIX.NOTES for a discussion of how Bash differs
  15 from the POSIX.2 spec and a description of the Bash `posix mode'.
  16
  17 There are some user-visible incompatibilities between this version
  18 of Bash and the previous widely-distributed version, bash-1.14.
  19 For details, see the file COMPAT.  The NEWS file tersely lists
  20 features that are new in this release.
  21
  22 Bash is free software, distributed under the terms of the GNU Public
  23 License, version 2.  For more information, see the file COPYING.
  24
  25 A number of frequently-asked questions are answered in the file
  26 `doc/FAQ'.
  27
  28 To compile Bash, try typing `./configure', then `make'.  Bash
  29 auto-configures the build process, so no further intervention
  30 should be necessary.  Bash builds with `gcc' by default if it is
  31 available.  If you want to use `cc' instead, type
  32
  33         CC=cc ./configure
  34
  35 if you are using a Bourne-style shell.  If you are not, the following
  36 may work:
  37
  38         env CC=cc ./configure
  39
  40 Read the file INSTALL in this directory for more information about how
  41 to customize and control the build process.  The file NOTES contains
  42 platform-specific installation and configuration information.
  43
  44 If you are a csh user and wish to convert your csh aliases to Bash
  45 aliases, you may wish to use the script `examples/misc/alias-conv.sh'
  46 as a starting point.  The script `examples/misc/cshtobash' is a
  47 more ambitious script that attempts to do a more complete job.
  48
  49 Reporting Bugs
  50 ==============
  51
  52 Bug reports for bash should be sent to:
  53
  54         bug-bash@gnu.org
  55
  56 using the `bashbug' program that is built and installed at the same
  57 time as bash.
  58
  59 The discussion list `bug-bash@gnu.org' often contains information
  60 about new ports of Bash, or discussions of new features or behavior
  61 changes that people would like.  This mailing list is also available
  62 as a usenet newsgroup: gnu.bash.bug.
  63
  64 When you send a bug report, please use the `bashbug' program that is
  65 built at the same time as bash.  If bash fails to build, try building
  66 bashbug directly with `make bashbug'.  If you cannot build `bashbug',
  67 please send mail to bug-bash@gnu.org with the following information:
  68
  69         * the version number and release status of Bash (e.g., 2.01-release)
  70         * the machine and OS that it is running on (look at the file
  71           `.made' in the bash build directory)
  72         * a list of the compilation flags or the contents of `config.h', if
  73           appropriate
  74         * a description of the bug
  75         * a recipe for recreating the bug reliably
  76         * a fix for the bug if you have one!
  77
  78 The `bashbug' program includes much of this automatically.
  79
  80 If you would like to contact the Bash maintainers directly, send mail
  81 to bash-maintainers@gnu.org.
  82
  83 While the Bash maintainers do not promise to fix all bugs, we would
  84 like this shell to be the best that we can make it.
  85
  86 Enjoy!
  87
  88 Chet Ramey
  89 chet@po.cwru.edu