How to get default shell?

For Developers
1

I know that bash (if installed on OpenWrt) sets $SHELL. How can I find what the default shell is if it's ash? Should I assume it's ash if the $SHELL is empty/not set?

I'm going to source some user-configured files and I want to run the syntax check before sourcing them, but I want to make sure I'm running a syntax check with the correct shell.

Thanks!

2

On an install without modifying the shell, I see

SHELL=/bin/ash
1 Like
3

under bash $SHELL is still ash...

cat /proc/${PPID}/cmdline

semi-works

4

Is it thru running env? What does echo "$SHELL" say? Sorry, I have no routers without bash at the moment.

5

Uhm, not for me:

EA8500 in ~ # echo $SHELL
/bin/bash
EA8500 in ~ # env
...
SHELL=/bin/bash
...
6 
echo $SHELL
/bin/ash
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7 
jeff@office:~$ echo $SHELL
/bin/ash
jeff@office:~$ ls -l $(which sh)
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root             7 Jul 15 16:01 /bin/sh -> busybox
jeff@office:~$ ls -l $(which ash)
lrwxrwxrwx    1 root     root             7 Jul 15 16:01 /bin/ash -> busybox
jeff@office:~$ sh


BusyBox v1.31.0 () built-in shell (ash)

jeff@office:~$ exit
jeff@office:~$ ash


BusyBox v1.31.0 () built-in shell (ash)
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8

The default OpenWrt shell is BusyBox ash.
Neither the login shell from /etc/passwd nor the current shell from $SHELL are required to be the default.

Probably you shouldn't use sourcing if the code is not portable/compatible.
Verify the specific shell binary exists and invoke it either explicitly or via the shebang.

9

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