type="topic"

      id="pref-custom-command">

  <info>

    <revision pkgversion="3.8" date="2013-03-02" status="candidate"/>

    <revision pkgversion="3.12" date="2014-09-08" status="candidate"/>

    <link type="guide" xref="index#preferences"/>

    <link type="guide" xref="pref#profile"/>

    <link type="seealso" xref="gs-execute-commands"/>

    <credit type="author copyright">

      <name>Sindhu S</name>

      <email>sindhus@live.in</email>

      <years>2013</years>

    </credit>

    <credit type="copyright editor">

      <name>Ekaterina Gerasimova</name>

      <email>kittykat3756@gmail.com</email>

      <years>2013-2014</years>

    </credit>

    <credit type="copyright editor">

      <name>Michael Hill</name>

      <email>mdhillca@gmail.com</email>

      <years>2013</years>

    </credit>

    <include href="legal.xml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2001/XInclude"/>

    <desc>Set <app>Terminal</app> to run a command or a different shell on startup.</desc>

  </info>

  <title>Custom commands and shells</title>

  
A shell is software that provides an interface for users of an

  operating system to run commands, which can be programs such as

  <app>top</app> or a command line shell. The default shell is usually

  <app>Bash</app>.

  
You can set <app>Terminal</app> to run a command when it starts up instead

  of awaiting input from you:

  <steps>

    <item>

      
Open <guiseq><gui style="menu">Edit</gui>

      <gui style="menuitem">Preferences</gui></guiseq>.

    </item>

    <item>

      
Your current profile is selected in the sidebar. If you wish to edit

      a different profile, click on its name.

    </item>

    <item>

      
Select <gui style="tab">Command</gui>.

    </item>

    <item>

      
Check <gui>Run a custom command instead of my shell</gui>.

    </item>

    <item>

      
In the text box, type the command or the desired shell.

      
The command will be passed to the terminal exactly as you write it,

      including any arguments that you specify. Environment variables will be

      inherited from the terminal as it is a child process of the terminal.

    </item>

    <item>

      
Open a new <app>Terminal</app> tab or window to see how the custom

      shell or command executes.

    </item>

  </steps>

  
You can also <link xref="pref-custom-exit">set the behavior</link> of

  the terminal once the command finishes executing.

  <note style="important">

    
You may have to enter full path to the command or the shell if the

    directory where the command or shell resides is not in the

    PATH variable of your system.

  </note>

</page>