List of shell options

This information was taken from a Bash version "4.1", every now and then new options are added, so likely, this list isn't complete.

The shell-options can be set with the shopt builtin command.

If set, a command name that is the name of a directory is executed as if it were the argument to the cd command.

If set, Bash attempts to expand associative array options only once.

Treat every non-directory argument to the cd-command as variable name containing a directory to cd into.

If set, minor errors in the spelling of a directory component in a cd command will be corrected. The errors checked for are transposed characters, a missing character, and one character too many. If a correction is found, the corrected file name is printed, and the command proceeds.

If set, Bash checks that a command found in the hash table exists before trying to execute it. If a hashed command no longer exists, a normal path search is performed.

If set, Bash lists the status of any stopped and running jobs before exiting an interactive shell. If any jobs are running, this causes the exit to be deferred until a second exit is attempted without an intervening command. The shell always postpones exiting if any jobs are stopped.

If set, Bash checks the window size after each command and, if necessary, updates the values of the variables LINES and COLUMNS.

If set, Bash attempts to save all lines of a multiple-line command in the same history entry. This allows easy re-editing of multi-line commands.

Compatiblity mode for Bash 3.1

Compatiblity mode for Bash 3.2

Compatiblity mode for Bash 4.0

Compatiblity mode for Bash 4.1

Compatiblity mode for Bash 4.2

Compatiblity mode for Bash 4.3

Compatiblity mode for Bash 4.4

If set, bash replaces directory names with the results of word expansion when performing filename completion. This changes the contents of the readline editing buffer. If not set, bash attempts to preserve what the user typed.

If set, Bash will perform spelling corrections on directory names to match a glob.

If set, Bash includes filenames beginning with a . (dot) in the results of pathname expansion.

If set, a non-interactive shell will not exit if it cannot execute the file specified as an argument to the exec-builtin command. An interactive shell does not exit if exec fails.

If set, aliases are expanded. This option is enabled by default for interactive shells.

If set, behavior intended for use by debuggers is enabled.

If set, the extended pattern matching features are enabled. See the important note below under Parser configurations.

If set, $'string' and $"string" quoting is performed within parameter expansions enclosed in double quotes. See the important note below under Parser configurations.

If set, patterns which fail to match filenames during pathname expansion result in an error message.

If set, the suffixes specified by the FIGNORE shell variable cause words to be ignored when performing word completion even if the ignored words are the only possible completions. This option is enabled by default.

If set, range expressions used in pattern matching behave as if in the traditional C locale when performing comparisons. That is, the current locale's collating sequence is not taken into account, so b will not collate between A and B, and upper-case and lower-case ASCII characters will collate together.

If set, recursive globbing with ** is enabled.

If set, shell error messages are written in the "standard GNU error message format".

If set, the history list is appended to the file named by the value of the HISTFILE variable when the shell exits, rather than overwriting the file.

If set, and readline is being used, a user is given the opportunity to re-edit a failed history substitution.

Allow to review a history substitution result by loading the resulting line into the editing buffer, rather than directly executing it.

If set, Bash completion also completes hostnames. On by default.

If set, Bash will send the SIGHUP signal to all jobs when an interactive login shell exits.

Allow commenting in interactive shells, on by default.

If set, and job control is not active, the shell runs the last command of a pipeline not executed in the background in the current shell environment.

If set, and the cmdhist option is enabled, multi-line commands are saved to the history with embedded newlines rather than using semicolon separators where possible.

If this option is set, a local variable inherits the value of a variable with the same name at the nearest preceding scope.

The option is set when Bash is a login shell. This is a readonly option.

If set, and a file that Bash is checking for mail has been accessed since the last time it was checked, the message "The mail in mailfile has been read" is displayed.

If set, and readline is being used, Bash will not attempt to search the PATH for possible completions when completion is attempted on an empty line.

If set, Bash matches filenames in a case-insensitive fashion when performing pathname expansion.

If set, Bash matches patterns in a case-insensitive fashion when performing matching while executing case or [[ conditional commands.

If set, Bash allows patterns which match no files to expand to a null string, rather than themselves.

If set, the programmable completion facilities are enabled. This option is enabled by default.

If set, prompt strings undergo parameter expansion, command substitution, arithmetic expansion, and quote removal after being expanded using the prompt special sequences. This option is enabled by default.

The option is set when Bash is a restricted shell. This is a readonly option.

If set, the shift builtin prints an error message when the shift count exceeds the number of positional parameters.

If set, the source builtin command uses the value of PATH to find the directory containing the file supplied as an argument. This option is enabled by default.

If set, the shell history is sent to syslog.

This option is undocumented and available only if the shell supports syslog.

If set, the echo-builtin command expands backslash-escape sequences by default (POSIX, SUS, XPG).

Parser configurations change the way the Bash parser recognizes the syntax when parsing a line. This, of course, is impossible for a line that already was parsed.

There are two options that influence the parsing this way:

• extglob
• extquote

Consequence: You can't use the new syntax (e.g. the extended globbing syntax) and the command to enable it in the same line.

$ shopt -s extglob; echo !(*.txt) # this is the WRONG way!
-bash: syntax error near unexpected token `('

You have to configure the parser before a line with new syntax is parsed:

$ shopt -s extglob # standalone - CORRECT way!
$ echo !(*.txt)
...

• Internal: shopt builtin command
• Internal: set builtin command