Linux From Scratch - Version 7.2

Chapter 6. Installing Basic System Software

6.33. Bash-4.2

The Bash package contains the Bourne-Again SHell.

Approximate build time: 1.7 SBU
Required disk space: 45 MB

6.33.1. Installation of Bash

First, apply the following patch to fix various bugs that have been addressed upstream: 

patch -Np1 -i ../bash-4.2-fixes-8.patch

Prepare Bash for compilation: 

./configure --prefix=/usr                     \
            --bindir=/bin                     \
            --htmldir=/usr/share/doc/bash-4.2 \
            --without-bash-malloc             \
            --with-installed-readline

The meaning of the configure options:

--htmldir

This option designates the directory into which HTML formatted documentation will be installed.

--with-installed-readline

This option tells Bash to use the readline library that is already installed on the system rather than using its own readline version.

Compile the package: 

make

Skip down to “Install the package” if not running the test suite.

To prepare the tests, ensure that the nobody user can write to the sources tree: 

chown -Rv nobody .

Now, run the tests as the nobody user: 

su nobody -s /bin/bash -c "PATH=$PATH make tests"

Install the package: 

make install

Run the newly compiled bash program (replacing the one that is currently being executed): 

exec /bin/bash --login +h
[Note]

Note

The parameters used make the bash process an interactive login shell and continue to disable hashing so that new programs are found as they become available.

6.33.2. Contents of Bash

Installed programs: bash, bashbug, and sh (link to bash)
Installed directory: /usr/share/doc/bash-4.2

Short Descriptions

bash

A widely-used command interpreter; it performs many types of expansions and substitutions on a given command line before executing it, thus making this interpreter a powerful tool

bashbug

A shell script to help the user compose and mail standard formatted bug reports concerning bash

sh

A symlink to the bash program; when invoked as sh, bash tries to mimic the startup behavior of historical versions of sh as closely as possible, while conforming to the POSIX standard as well