ksh
KornShell (ksh) is a Unix shell and scripting language developed by David Korn at Bell Labs. It is an enhanced version of the Bourne Shell (sh), designed to combine its robustness and POSIX compliance with the interactive features of the C Shell (csh) and advanced programming capabilities. Ksh…
Key facts
- First appeared
- 1983
- Category
- programming_language
- Problem solved
- The Bourne Shell (sh) lacked advanced programming constructs (like functions, arrays, floating-point arithmetic) and robust interactive features (like command-line editing, history) necessary for complex scripting and efficient user interaction. The C Shell (csh), while offering interactive features, suffered from problematic scripting syntax and behavior. Ksh was created to address these deficiencies by providing a powerful, programmable, and interactive shell that maintained backward compatibility with sh.
- Platforms
- Unix-like systems (Linux, macOS, BSD, Solaris, AIX, HP-UX), Windows (via Cygwin or WSL)
Related technologies
Notable users
- Large enterprises with existing Unix infrastructure for system automation and batch processing
- Telecommunications companies
- Government agencies
- Financial institutions (for legacy systems)