How to Create and Run Bash Shell Scripts on Windows 10

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To create and run Bash shell scripts on Windows 10, you will need to:

  1. Enable Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL).
  2. Install a Linux distribution, such as Ubuntu or Debian.
  3. Create a Bash shell script.
  4. Run the Bash shell script.

Here are the steps in more detail:

  1. To enable WSL, open the Windows 10 Start menu and search for “Turn Windows features on or off.” Click on the result to open the “Windows Features” dialog box. Scroll down to the “Windows Subsystem for Linux” section and check the box next to “Windows Subsystem for Linux (Beta).” Click “OK” to enable WSL.
  2. Once WSL is enabled, you can install a Linux distribution. To do this, open the Microsoft Store and search for the Linux distribution you want to install. Click on the result to install the distribution.
  3. Once the Linux distribution is installed, you can create a Bash shell script. To do this, open a text editor and create a new file with the .sh extension. In the file, you can write any Bash commands you want to run. For example, the following Bash script prints “Hello, world!” to the console:
Code snippet
#!/bin/bash

echo "Hello, world!"
  1. To run the Bash shell script, open a command prompt and navigate to the directory where the script is located. Then, type the following command:
Code snippet
bash script.sh
The Bash shell script will now run.

Here are some additional tips for creating and running Bash shell scripts on Windows 10:

  • You can use any text editor to create a Bash shell script. However, it is recommended to use a text editor that supports syntax highlighting for Bash scripts, such as Sublime Text or Visual Studio Code.
  • You can run Bash shell scripts from a command prompt or from a Windows PowerShell window.
  • You can also run Bash shell scripts from a shortcut. To create a shortcut to a Bash shell script, right-click on a blank area of the desktop and select “New > Shortcut.” In the “Type the location of item” field, type the path to the Bash shell script. Then, click “Next.” In the “Type a name for this shortcut” field, type a name for the shortcut. Then, click “Finish.”
  • You can also run Bash shell scripts from a Windows 10 Start menu shortcut. To create a Windows 10 Start menu shortcut to a Bash shell script, right-click on the Bash shell script and select “Pin to Start.”