NAME
builtin, alias, alloc, bg, bind, bindkey, break, breaksw, builtins, case, cd, chdir, command, complete, continue, default, dirs, do, done, echo, echotc, elif, else, end, endif, endsw, esac, eval, exec, exit, export, false, fc, fg, filetest, fi, for, foreach, getopts, glob, goto, hash, hashstat, history, hup, if, jobid, jobs, kill, limit, log, login, logout, ls-F, nice, nohup, notify, onintr, popd, printenv, pushd, pwd, read, readonly, rehash, repeat, sched, set, setenv, settc, setty, setvar, shift, source, stop, suspend, switch, telltc, test, then, time, trap, true, type, ulimit, umask, unalias, uncomplete, unhash, unlimit, unset, unsetenv, until, wait, where, which, while — shell builtin commands
SYNOPSIS
builtin [−options] [args ...]
DESCRIPTION
Shell builtin commands are commands that can be executed within the running shell’s process. Note that, in the case of csh(1) builtin commands, the command is executed in a subshell if it occurs as any component of a pipeline except the last.
If a command specified to the shell contains a slash ’’/’’, the shell will not execute a builtin command, even if the last component of the specified command matches the name of a builtin command. Thus, while specifying ’’echo’’ causes a builtin command to be executed under shells that support the builtin echo command, specifying ’’/bin/echo’’ or ’’./echo’’ does not.
While some builtin commands may exist in more than one shell, their operation may be different under each shell which supports them. Below is a table which lists shell builtin commands, the standard shells that support them and whether they exist as standalone utilities.
Only builtin commands for the csh(1) and sh(1) shells are listed here. Consult the appropriate manual page for details on the operation of any given builtin command under those shells. Users of other shells will need to consult the documentation supplied with the other shells.
Command
Externalcsh(1)sh(1)
alias Yes Yes Yes 
alloc No Yes No 
bg Yes Yes Yes 
bind No No Yes 
bindkey No Yes No 
break No Yes Yes 
breaksw No Yes No 
builtins No Yes No 
case No Yes Yes 
cd Yes Yes Yes 
chdir No Yes Yes 
command Yes No Yes 
complete No Yes No 
continue No Yes Yes 
default No Yes No 
dirs No Yes No 
do No No Yes 
done No No Yes 
echo Yes Yes Yes 
echotc No Yes No 
elif No No Yes 
else No Yes Yes 
end No Yes No 
endif No Yes No 
endsw No Yes No 
esac No No Yes 
eval No Yes Yes 
exec No Yes Yes 
exit No Yes Yes 
export No No Yes 
false Yes No Yes 
fc Yes No Yes 
fg Yes Yes Yes 
filetest No Yes No 
fi No No Yes 
for No No Yes 
foreach No Yes No 
getopts Yes No Yes 
glob No Yes No 
goto No Yes No 
hash No No Yes 
hashstat No Yes No 
history No Yes No 
hup No Yes No 
if No Yes Yes 
jobid No No Yes 
jobs Yes Yes Yes 
kill Yes Yes No 
limit No Yes No 
log No Yes No 
login Yes Yes No 
logout No Yes No 
ls-F No Yes No 
nice Yes Yes No 
nohup Yes Yes No 
notify No Yes No 
onintr No Yes No 
popd No Yes No 
printenv Yes Yes No 
pushd No Yes No 
pwd Yes No Yes 
read Yes No Yes 
readonly No No Yes 
rehash No Yes No 
repeat No Yes No 
sched No Yes No 
set No Yes Yes 
setenv No Yes No 
settc No Yes No 
setty No Yes No 
setvar No No Yes 
shift No Yes Yes 
source No Yes No 
stop No Yes No 
suspend No Yes No 
switch No Yes No 
telltc No Yes No 
test Yes No Yes 
then No No Yes 
time Yes Yes No 
trap No No Yes 
true Yes No Yes 
type No No Yes 
ulimit No No Yes 
umask Yes Yes Yes 
unalias Yes Yes Yes 
uncomplete No Yes No 
unhash No Yes No 
unlimit No Yes No 
unset No Yes Yes 
unsetenv No Yes No 
until No No Yes 
wait Yes Yes Yes 
where No Yes No 
which Yes Yes No 
while No Yes Yes
SEE ALSO
csh(1), echo(1), false(1), kill(1), login(1), nice(1), nohup(1), printenv(1), pwd(1), sh(1), test(1), time(1), true(1), which(1)
HISTORY
The builtin manual page first appeared in FreeBSD 3.4.
AUTHORS
This manual page was written by Sheldon Hearn <sheldonh [AT] FreeBSD.org>.
BSD September 1, 1999 BSD