What is the purpose of the source command in Linux?
In Linux, the source command is used to execute a specific script file within the current shell session. It loads the commands and environment variables from the specified script file into the current shell, making them take effect immediately.
Specifically, the source command opens a script file and executes the commands line by line. Unlike running a script file directly, the source command executes the script in the current shell environment instead of creating a new subshell. This means that variables, functions, and aliases within the script will still be valid after execution, without affecting the current shell environment.
The source command is typically used to load configuration files or script files in order to set environment variables, define functions, add aliases, etc. For example, after making changes to the .bashrc configuration file, you can use the source command to apply the changes immediately without having to restart the terminal.
Syntax: source [script file path] or . [script file path]
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- source the .bashrc configuration file
- Run the script file named myscript.sh.
- Run the script.sh script file in the current directory.
