What is the difference between .bashrc and .bash_profile?

The difference between .bashrc and .bash_profile lies in when they are executed and the type of shell session they are associated with:

.bashrc

• Purpose: It is executed for interactive non-login shells.
• Usage: Typically used for setting up the environment for terminal sessions that are opened after logging in (like opening a new terminal window).
• Common Configurations: Aliases, functions, and other shell settings that you want available in every interactive shell.

.bash_profile

• Purpose: It is executed for login shells.
• Usage: This file is read and executed when you log into your system (e.g., via a terminal or SSH).
• Common Configurations: Environment variables, including PATH, and commands that should run only once at the start of the session.

Key Points

• If you want to ensure that settings in .bashrc are available in login shells, it's common to source .bashrc from .bash_profile by adding the following line to .bash_profile:

  if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then
      . ~/.bashrc
  fi

This way, you can maintain a consistent environment across both types of shell sessions.