Rubish: A Unix shell written in pure Ruby

2026-05-23 | original

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Why This Matters

Rubish is a fully Bash-compatible Unix shell built entirely in Ruby, allowing seamless integration of Ruby code within shell scripts. Its deep Ruby integration enables developers to leverage Ruby's powerful features directly in shell environments, making scripting more flexible and expressive. This innovation offers both convenience for existing Bash users and new possibilities for Ruby developers working in shell contexts.

Key Takeaways

Supports all Bash features and syntax, ensuring compatibility with existing scripts.
Allows embedding Ruby code directly into shell scripts for enhanced functionality.
Can be used as a login shell or run scripts interactively, offering flexible deployment options.

Rubish

A UNIX shell written in pure Ruby.

Shell syntax is parsed and compiled to Ruby code, then executed by the Ruby VM.

Concept

Fully Bash-compatible

Rubish supports all the features of bash, and the shell syntax is fully compatible. You can run your existing bash scripts without modification. If you found any bash script that doesn't work in rubish, we consider it a bug, so please report it!

Deep Ruby integration

Rubish is not just a shell implemented in Ruby, but a shell that deeply integrates Ruby. You can seamlessly mix shell commands and Ruby code, and even use Ruby's powerful features like blocks, iterators, and libraries in your shell scripts.

Installation

Homebrew (macOS)

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