How to Switch to bash from zsh in Linux?

In Linux, a shell is a program that inputs the command from the user and sends it to the operating system. There are various types of shells that Linux provides, such as Bash, zsh, Ksh, and fish, Bash, and Zsh. the bash shell is the default used by the Linux operations system, whereas others can be installed manually.

This article will demonstrate the method to switch zsh to bash shell. The content for the post is as follows:

Let’s start with the comparison of Zsh and Bash.

Zsh Shell Vs Bash Shell

The zsh shell is the command line interpreter tool that gives additional features apart from the bash shell, such as automatic command completion, spell check, path, and much more.

In Linux, the bash shell is the enhanced version of the shell which is similar to the original shell that provides additional features such as command editing. A bash shell is used when users have to deal with large quantities of files and data.

zsh ShellBash Shell
It is the extended version of the bash shell that comes with additional features apart from the bash shell.It is the enhanced version of the shell similar to the original shell.
It uses the .zshrc and .zprofile for shell loginIt uses the .bashrc and .bash_profile for shell login.
The zsh shell provides frameworks that are customizable.Don’t have any customization options.
For escaping zsh use the percentage sign.For escaping the bash shell use the backslash(/).

Now, let’s head over to the main method.

How to Switch to Bash From Zsh?

Users can switch bash to zsh and zsh to bash shell by simply running the “exec” command which is given below.

Step 1: Verify the Current Shell

First, we have to ensure that the current shell is being used in zsh. To do so, use the command.

$ echo $SHELL

The output confirms that the zsh is being used.

Step 2: Switch the Shell

The “exec” keyword is used to switch to different shells. In this case, we are using the following command to switch to bash:

$ exec bash

Step 3: Verify the Change

To confirm the current shell, use the command in the terminal:

$ echo $SHELL

Note: If you want to switch from bash to zsh, use the command:

$ exec zsh

That’s how you can switch between zsh and bash in Linux.

Conclusion

In Linux, the zsh is the enhanced version of the bash shell, and the user can switch from zsh to bash by simply running the “exec” command in the terminal. This post has briefly illustrated the comparison between bash and zsh shells also the conversion methods from zsh to bash shell.