Skip to content
geeksforgeeks
  • Courses
    • DSA to Development
    • Get IBM Certification
    • Newly Launched!
      • Master Django Framework
      • Become AWS Certified
    • For Working Professionals
      • Interview 101: DSA & System Design
      • Data Science Training Program
      • JAVA Backend Development (Live)
      • DevOps Engineering (LIVE)
      • Data Structures & Algorithms in Python
    • For Students
      • Placement Preparation Course
      • Data Science (Live)
      • Data Structure & Algorithm-Self Paced (C++/JAVA)
      • Master Competitive Programming (Live)
      • Full Stack Development with React & Node JS (Live)
    • Full Stack Development
    • Data Science Program
    • All Courses
  • Tutorials
    • Data Structures & Algorithms
    • ML & Data Science
    • Interview Corner
    • Programming Languages
    • Web Development
    • CS Subjects
    • DevOps And Linux
    • School Learning
  • Practice
    • Build your AI Agent
    • GfG 160
    • Problem of the Day
    • Practice Coding Problems
    • GfG SDE Sheet
  • Contests
    • Accenture Hackathon (Ending Soon!)
    • GfG Weekly [Rated Contest]
    • Job-A-Thon Hiring Challenge
    • All Contests and Events
  • Shell Scripting
  • Kali Linux
  • Ubuntu
  • Red Hat
  • CentOS
  • Docker in Linux
  • Kubernetes in Linux
  • Linux interview question
  • Python
  • R
  • Java
  • C
  • C++
  • JavaScript
  • DSA
Open In App
Next Article:
Linux | Uptime command with examples
Next article icon

type command in Linux with Examples

Last Updated : 23 Sep, 2024
Comments
Improve
Suggest changes
Like Article
Like
Report

The type command in Linux is a useful utility for identifying how the shell will interpret a given command. It provides information on whether a command is a shell built-in, external binary, function, or alias, helping users understand the source of the command and its behavior. The command is particularly helpful when troubleshooting or exploring system utilities, as it reveals whether a command is being executed as an alias, keyword, or a binary file from the disk.

Syntax

type [Options] command names

Basic ‘type’ command Example

Basic 'type' command Example

Key Options of the type Command

1. -a: Show All Locations (Aliases, Keywords, Functions, Executable Files)

This option is used to find out whether it is an alias, keyword or a function and it also displays the path of an executable, if available.

Example:

type -a pwd

-a

2. -t: Display a Single Word Indicating Command Type

The ‘-t’ option will return a single word that describes the type of the command. It simplifies the output by focusing only on the category of the command: alias, keyword, builtin, function, or file.

Example:

type -t pwd type -t cp type -t ls type -t while

  • alias: if command is a shell alias
  • keyword: if command is a shell reserved word
  • builtin: if command is a shell builtin
  • function: if command is a shell function
  • file: if command is a disk file

3. -p: Display the Path to the Executable File

This option displays the name of the disk file which would be executed by the shell. It will return nothing if the command is not a disk file.

Example:

type -p dash

If dash exists as an executable on the disk, it shows the path where it’s located.

Conclusion

The ‘type’ command in Linux is a versatile tool that helps users and system administrators gain insights into how commands are interpreted by the shell. ‘type’ makes it easy to understand the source of a command’s behavior, whether you’re trying to figure out if a command is a built-in or external executable, or debugging an alias.


    Next Article
    Linux | Uptime command with examples

    B
    basilmohamed
    Improve
    Article Tags :
    • Linux-Unix
    • linux-command
    • Linux-misc-commands

    Similar Reads

    • tee command in Linux with examples
      tee command reads the standard input and writes it to both the standard output and one or more files. The command is named after the T-splitter used in plumbing. It basically breaks the output of a program so that it can be both displayed and saved in a file. It does both the tasks simultaneously, c
      2 min read
    • time command in Linux with examples
      'time' command in Linux is used to execute a command and prints a summary of real-time, user CPU time and system CPU time spent by executing a command when it terminates. 'real' time is the time elapsed wall clock time taken by a command to get executed, while 'user' and 'sys' time are the number of
      6 min read
    • How to Monitor System Activity in Linux | top Command
      top command is used to show the Linux processes. It provides a dynamic real-time view of the running system. Usually, this command shows the summary information of the system and the list of processes or threads which are currently managed by the Linux Kernel. As soon as you will run this command it
      10 min read
    • How to Create an Empty File in Linux | Touch Command
      The touch command is a standard command used in the UNIX/Linux operating system which is used to create, change and modify the timestamps of a file. Basically, there are two different commands to create a file in the Linux system which are as follows: touch command: It is used to create a file witho
      8 min read
    • tr command in Unix/Linux with examples
      The tr command is a UNIX command-line utility for translating or deleting characters. It supports a range of transformations including uppercase to lowercase, squeezing repeating characters, deleting specific characters, and basic find and replace. It can be used with UNIX pipes to support more comp
      4 min read
    • tracepath command in Linux with Examples
      The 'tracepath' command in Linux is a network diagnostic tool used to trace the path packets take to reach a destination, discovering the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) along the way. It operates similarly to the traceroute command but does not require superuser privileges and offers a simpler set
      2 min read
    • Traceroute Command in Linux with Examples
      In networking, understanding the path that data packets take from one point to another is crucial for diagnosing and troubleshooting connectivity issues. One of the most valuable tools for this purpose is the traceroute command in Linux. Traceroute is a command-line tool used in Linux or other opera
      8 min read
    • tree Command in Linux with Examples
      The tree command in Linux is a powerful, user-friendly tool that visually maps directory structures in a hierarchical, tree-like format. Unlike the basic ls command, which lists files and folders linearly, tree reveals the nested relationships between directories and their contents, making it easier
      7 min read
    • tty Command in Linux with Examples
      In the Linux operating system, everything is represented within a file system, including hardware devices and terminal interfaces. Among these, the terminal is also treated as a file, allowing users to interact with the system by sending inputs and receiving outputs. One essential command related to
      3 min read
    • type command in Linux with Examples
      The type command in Linux is a useful utility for identifying how the shell will interpret a given command. It provides information on whether a command is a shell built-in, external binary, function, or alias, helping users understand the source of the command and its behavior. The command is parti
      3 min read
    geeksforgeeks-footer-logo
    Corporate & Communications Address:
    A-143, 7th Floor, Sovereign Corporate Tower, Sector- 136, Noida, Uttar Pradesh (201305)
    Registered Address:
    K 061, Tower K, Gulshan Vivante Apartment, Sector 137, Noida, Gautam Buddh Nagar, Uttar Pradesh, 201305
    GFG App on Play Store GFG App on App Store
    Advertise with us
    • Company
    • About Us
    • Legal
    • Privacy Policy
    • In Media
    • Contact Us
    • Advertise with us
    • GFG Corporate Solution
    • Placement Training Program
    • Languages
    • Python
    • Java
    • C++
    • PHP
    • GoLang
    • SQL
    • R Language
    • Android Tutorial
    • Tutorials Archive
    • DSA
    • Data Structures
    • Algorithms
    • DSA for Beginners
    • Basic DSA Problems
    • DSA Roadmap
    • Top 100 DSA Interview Problems
    • DSA Roadmap by Sandeep Jain
    • All Cheat Sheets
    • Data Science & ML
    • Data Science With Python
    • Data Science For Beginner
    • Machine Learning
    • ML Maths
    • Data Visualisation
    • Pandas
    • NumPy
    • NLP
    • Deep Learning
    • Web Technologies
    • HTML
    • CSS
    • JavaScript
    • TypeScript
    • ReactJS
    • NextJS
    • Bootstrap
    • Web Design
    • Python Tutorial
    • Python Programming Examples
    • Python Projects
    • Python Tkinter
    • Python Web Scraping
    • OpenCV Tutorial
    • Python Interview Question
    • Django
    • Computer Science
    • Operating Systems
    • Computer Network
    • Database Management System
    • Software Engineering
    • Digital Logic Design
    • Engineering Maths
    • Software Development
    • Software Testing
    • DevOps
    • Git
    • Linux
    • AWS
    • Docker
    • Kubernetes
    • Azure
    • GCP
    • DevOps Roadmap
    • System Design
    • High Level Design
    • Low Level Design
    • UML Diagrams
    • Interview Guide
    • Design Patterns
    • OOAD
    • System Design Bootcamp
    • Interview Questions
    • Inteview Preparation
    • Competitive Programming
    • Top DS or Algo for CP
    • Company-Wise Recruitment Process
    • Company-Wise Preparation
    • Aptitude Preparation
    • Puzzles
    • School Subjects
    • Mathematics
    • Physics
    • Chemistry
    • Biology
    • Social Science
    • English Grammar
    • Commerce
    • World GK
    • GeeksforGeeks Videos
    • DSA
    • Python
    • Java
    • C++
    • Web Development
    • Data Science
    • CS Subjects
    @GeeksforGeeks, Sanchhaya Education Private Limited, All rights reserved
    We use cookies to ensure you have the best browsing experience on our website. By using our site, you acknowledge that you have read and understood our Cookie Policy & Privacy Policy
    Lightbox
    Improvement
    Suggest Changes
    Help us improve. Share your suggestions to enhance the article. Contribute your expertise and make a difference in the GeeksforGeeks portal.
    geeksforgeeks-suggest-icon
    Create Improvement
    Enhance the article with your expertise. Contribute to the GeeksforGeeks community and help create better learning resources for all.
    geeksforgeeks-improvement-icon
    Suggest Changes
    min 4 words, max Words Limit:1000

    Thank You!

    Your suggestions are valuable to us.

    What kind of Experience do you want to share?

    Interview Experiences
    Admission Experiences
    Career Journeys
    Work Experiences
    Campus Experiences
    Competitive Exam Experiences