---
name: "bash-minimal"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "bash-minimal"
version: "3.2-4"
release: "Debian 5.0 (Lenny)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/bash-minimal"
---

# bash-minimal(1)

A bash version configured with minimal features

## NAME

bash-minimal - A bash version configured with minimal features

## SYNOPSIS

bash \[**options**\] ... \[*file*\]

## DESCRIPTION

**bash-minimal** is configured using --enable-minimal-config, which produces a shell with minimal features, close to the historical Bourne shell. This means:

- •

  No alias expansion and the \`alias' and \`unalias' builtins.

- •

  No support for the alternate form of the \`for' command that behaves like the C language \`for' statement.

- •

  No support for one-dimensional array shell variables.

- •

  No support for \`csh'-like history substitution.

- •

  No \`csh'-like brace expansion ( \`b{a,b}c' ==\> \`bac bbc' ).

- •

  No support for recognizing \`time' as a reserved word and for displaying timing statistics for the pipeline following \`time'.  This allows pipelines as well as shell builtins and functions to be timed.

- •

  No support for the \`\[\[' conditional command.

- •

  No support for a \`csh'-like directory stack and the \`pushd', \`popd', and \`dirs' builtins

- •

  No support for the \`((...))' command.

- •

  No support for the extended pattern matching features.

- •

  No \`help' builtin, which displays help on shell builtins and variables.

- •

  No command history and the \`fc' and \`history' builtin commands.

- •

  No job control features.

- •

  No special handling of filenames of the form \`/dev/tcp/HOST/PORT' and \`/dev/udp/HOST/PORT' when used in redirections.

- •

  No process substitution.

- •

  No interpretation of a number of backslash-escaped characters in the \`$PS1', \`$PS2', \`$PS3', and \`$PS4' prompt strings.

- •

  No programmable completion facilities.

- •

  No support for command-line editing and history with the Bash version of the Readline library.

- •

  No support for a "restricted shell".  If this is enabled, Bash, when called as \`rbash', enters a restricted mode.

- •

  No \`select' builtin, which allows the generation of simple menus.

## SEE ALSO

**[bash(1)](/bash/1.md)**