Home » Questions » Computers [ Ask a new question ]

How do I set my shell in Mac OS X?

How do I set my shell in Mac OS X?

I know I can set "Shells open with" in the Terminal preferences, but I'm curious if there's any system-wide way of setting this (similar to updating /etc/passwd in some Unixes).

Asked by: Guest | Views: 286
Total answers/comments: 2
bert [Entry]

"Use the chsh utility like so:

chsh -s bash

Apple has changed chsh a bit on Mac OS X compared to the chsh you'd see in Linux for example. You can read up on theirs in the chsh Mac OS X Man Page."
bert [Entry]

"To do this using the Mac OS X GUI:

Open “System Preferences.”
Open the “Accounts”/“Users & Groups” preference pane and unlock the preference pane if applicable.
On the user you wish to change the shell, control+click or right click on the user and choose “Advanced Options…”
Where it says “Login Shell:” change this to the shell you wish to use.

Of note, this location is where you can change your home directory, UUID, User ID, Group ID, and short name if you're uncomfortable with the Terminal. There is a similar question located here as well."