source

Run the commands from a file in the current shell

What it does

source reads a file and runs its commands in the current terminal. Its main use is picking up changed settings without a restart: after editing ~/.bashrc (~/.zshrc in zsh), source ~/.bashrc is enough.

Unlike running a script as a separate program, the variables and functions from the file stay in your session. That is also how a Python virtual environment is activated: source venv/bin/activate. The short form is a dot: . ~/.bashrc.

Syntax

source <file>
. <file>

Examples

• Apply changes from ~/.bashrc without restarting the terminal

  source ~/.bashrc

  same as: . ~/.bashrc

  • source — run the file in the current shell
  • ~/.bashrc — bash settings

Related commands

• export — Set an environment variable for the programs you run
• env — List environment variables
• echo — Print text or the value of a variable

Practise · All commands