New in Bash 5.3

New Bash

© Lead Image © Laschon Maximilian, 123RF.com

© Lead Image © Laschon Maximilian, 123RF.com

Article from Issue 305/2026
Author(s):

Bash is more than 40 years old, but it is still an active project that receives occasional updates. The most recent version appeared in July 2025 with some important changes. We take a look inside Bash 5.3.

Bash 5.3 was released in the summer of 2025, and it came with a bunch of interesting new features. One important emphasis of the update is script performance. You can expect your scripts to run faster once you become familiar with the new performance features included with Bash 5.3.

The new release will eventually make its way to your distro's repositories, but if you can't find a package, you can always build Bash from the source code. A few preparatory steps are required before you build. The first step is to install the build-essential package. This package has dependencies on important packages such as libc6-dev, gcc, g++, and make.

As soon as you call the command

[...]

Use Express-Checkout link below to read the full article (PDF).

Buy this article as PDF

Download Article PDF now with Express Checkout
Price $2.95
(incl. VAT)

Buy Linux Magazine

Related content

  • Bash 4

    Despite the Bourne-again shell's biblical age and high level of maturity, developers continue to work on it. We take a look at the latest Bash release.

  • Zenity Dialogs

    The Zenity command-line utility lets you create simple dialog boxes with your own data or with the output of utilities and applications.

  • Bash Tuning

    In the old days, shells were capable of little more than calling external programs and executing basic, internal commands. With all the bells and whistles in the latest versions of Bash, however, you hardly need the support of external tools.

  • Advanced Shell Scripting

    Shell scripting is a versatile tool for managing and automating the modern IT infrastructure. This article reaches beyond the basics with some advanced techniques for tackling real-world challenges.

  • Bash Alternatives

    Don't let your familiarity with the Bash shell stop you from exploring other options. We take a look at a pair of alternatives that are easy to install and easy to use: Zsh and fish.

comments powered by Disqus
Subscribe to our Linux Newsletters
Find Linux and Open Source Jobs
Subscribe to our ADMIN Newsletters

Support Our Work

Linux Magazine content is made possible with support from readers like you. Please consider contributing when you’ve found an article to be beneficial.

Learn More

News