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What means "The default interactive shell is now zsh"?

"The default interactive shell is now zsh. To update your account to use zsh, please run `chsh -s /bin/zsh`. For more details, please visit https://support.apple.com/kb/HT208050."


Q: What is "interactive shell?"

Q: What is "zsh?"

Q: Update what account?

Q: How to run "'cash -s /bin/zsh'?"

Q: What are the additional details regarding this?


[Re-Titled by Moderator]

Posted on May 24, 2021 10:52 PM

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Posted on May 28, 2021 4:42 AM

Thanks for the reply. However, the question did not arise because I was “blindly entering commands I found on the internet.” The quote that I entered in my original post popped up unexpectedly, and to my knowledge, without provocation from the Terminal. app.  I have no interest nor inclination to monkey with command lines or default shells. I simply wanted to know what the message meant and if any action was needed to address the issue. If my interpretation of your rather gratuitously flippant reply is correct, the answer is that no action is needed. Thanks.

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

May 28, 2021 4:42 AM in response to HWTech

Thanks for the reply. However, the question did not arise because I was “blindly entering commands I found on the internet.” The quote that I entered in my original post popped up unexpectedly, and to my knowledge, without provocation from the Terminal. app.  I have no interest nor inclination to monkey with command lines or default shells. I simply wanted to know what the message meant and if any action was needed to address the issue. If my interpretation of your rather gratuitously flippant reply is correct, the answer is that no action is needed. Thanks.

May 27, 2021 9:16 AM in response to Luksorzur

If you are going to be using the command line in the Terminal app, then you should learn more about the command line in general before you start blindly entering commands you find on the Internet. The command line has no safety net like you get with the macOS GUI interface. You can very easily break macOS and destroy all your data if you are not careful. Just a simple typographical error can sometimes do this.


@Jack-19's post is accurate and safe. The Terminal app already suggested the command for users of the command line who have upgraded their macOS. Unless you know what you are doing on the command line, it does not matter whether change the default shell or not.

What means "The default interactive shell is now zsh"?

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