source

What it does

How to write it

source FILE [ARGUMENTS]
. FILE [ARGUMENTS]

Most used

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$ run as a normal user# run as root (or with sudo)

1. 1Load your .bashrc after an edit

   $source ~/.bashrc

   New aliases and variables work at once, without logging out.

2. 2The short form with a dot

   $. ~/.bashrc

   Exactly the same as source.

3. 3Load variables from a settings file

   $cat app.env
   APP_PORT=8080
   APP_ENV=staging
   $set -a; source app.env; set +a

   set -a exports every variable that is set, so programs started later get them.

4. 4Use shared functions in a script

   $cat /usr/local/lib/ops-lib.sh
   log() { echo "$(date +%F_%T) $*"; }
   $cat deploy.sh
   #!/bin/bash
   source /usr/local/lib/ops-lib.sh
   log "deploy started"

   One library file, many scripts. Fix a function once.

5. 5Activate a Python virtual environment

   $source ~/venvs/ansible/bin/activate

   The activate script changes PATH in your shell, so it must be sourced, not run.

6. 6Check what a script changes before you trust it

   $bash -n setup.sh && source setup.sh

   bash -n checks the syntax without running anything.

7. 7Load the environment of a service in a test

   $set -a; source /etc/sysconfig/myapp; set +a

   Many services read their options from a file in /etc/sysconfig. Load it to test the same settings by hand.

8. 8Pass arguments to the sourced file

   $source ./set-cluster.sh production

   Inside the file, $1 is production.

9. 9Make a change of folder stay

   $cat goto-logs.sh
   cd /var/log/myapp
   $source goto-logs.sh; pwd
   /var/log/myapp

   Run as ./goto-logs.sh, the cd would happen in a child shell and you would not move.

10. 10Reload the shell profile for all users after a change (current shell)

    $source /etc/profile

    Other users get it at their next login.

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