Intro

Intro

Everyday shell built-ins and small utilities for output, history, name resolution, environment, timing, and the directory stack. Deeper programming belongs in Scripting → Bash (this book).

Commands in this part

Command	Role
echo	echo writes its arguments to standard output, separated by spaces, usually followed by a newline.
printf	printf formats and prints arguments using a format string, like C’s printf.
history	history shows the shell’s command history list (bash).
type / command	type explains how the shell will resolve a name — alias, keyword, function, builtin, or external file.
export	export marks shell variables for the environment so child processes inherit them.
time	time runs a command and reports how long it took.
pushd / popd / dirs	pushd, popd, and dirs maintain a directory stack in bash.

Suggested starting points

1. Print: echo, printf.
2. Recall: history.
3. What is this name?: type / command.
4. Environment: export (see also env in System information).
5. Measure: time; navigate: pushd/popd/dirs.

Related parts

• Help and documentation tools — help for builtins
• Text and pipes — consume what you print
• Scripting → Bash (this book) — functions, arrays, strict mode

Continue with the individual command pages in this part.