Description #
KornShell (ksh) is a Unix shell and command language developed as a powerful, backward-compatible alternative to the Bourne shell, with scripting features borrowed from C and newer shell tools.
History #
Developed by David Korn at Bell Labs in 1983, KornShell combined the scripting simplicity of Bourne shell with enhancements like built-in arithmetic, improved control structures, and command-line editing. It influenced many later shells, including Bash and Zsh.
Hello World Code #
echo "Hello, World!"How to Run #
Option 1: Online
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/execute_ksh_online.php
Option 2: Local
Most Unix/Linux systems have ksh installed. If not:
sudo apt install ksh # Debian/UbuntuTo run a script:
ksh hello.kshKey Concepts #
- Interpreted shell language
- Compatible with Bourne shell (
sh) - Adds arrays, arithmetic, and functions
- Supports job control and signal handling
- Command-line editing with vi/emacs modes
- Strong scripting capabilities
- Used in enterprise environments (AIX, HP-UX)
- Faster than Bash in some legacy use cases
- Has multiple versions (ksh88, ksh93)
- Portable across many Unix systems
Try It Online #
https://www.tutorialspoint.com/execute_ksh_online.php
Fun Facts #
- KornShell inspired many features in Bash and Zsh.
- The
ksh93version introduced associative arrays before they appeared in Bash. - Despite Bash’s popularity, ksh remains standard in many enterprise Unix systems.
Resources #
AT&T KornShell Site (archived)
GitHub Mirror (ksh2020)
KornShell Manual
KornShell vs Bash Comparison
