Session and utilities

The type command

Says what a name is: a binary, a shell builtin or an alias. It answers 'why does this command behave like this'.

Syntax

type nombre

Most useful options

-aShows all matches
-tOnly the type (file, builtin, alias)

Copy-ready examples

$ type lsWhat is ls?
$ type cdAnd cd?

You can try them in the browser terminal: it does not touch your computer.

Typical mistakes

  • An alias can hide the real command: type reveals it.

Related commands

whichwhereisalias

FAQ

Difference from which?

which only searches the PATH; type also recognises builtins and aliases.

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