In computing, a shell is a piece of software that provides an interface for users (command line interpreter). Typically, the term refers to an operating system shell which provides access to the services of a kernel. However, the term is also applied very loosely to applications and may include any software that is "built around" a particular component, such as web browsers and email clients that are "shells" for HTML rendering engines. The name 'shell' originates from shells being an outer layer of interface between the user and the innards of the operating system (the kernel). An operating system (OS) is a computer program that manages the hardware and software resources of a computer. ... A kernel connects the application software to the hardware of a computer. ... HTML, short for HyperText Markup Language, is the predominant markup language for the creation of web pages. ... A layout engine, or rendering engine, is a software that takes web content (such as HTML, XML, image files, etc) and formatting information (such as CSS, XSL, etc) and displays the formatted content on the screen. ...

Operating system shells generally fall into one of two categories: command line and graphical. Command line shells provide a command line interface (CLI) to the operating system, while graphical shells provide a graphical user interface (GUI). It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Command prompt. ... A graphical user interface (or GUI, often pronounced gooey), is a particular case of user interface for interacting with a computer which employs graphical images and widgets in addition to text to represent the information and actions available to the user. ...

The relative merits of CLI- and GUI-based shells are often debated. CLI proponents claim that certain operations can be performed much faster under CLI shells than under GUI shells (such as moving files, for example). However, GUI proponents advocate the comparative usability and simplicity of GUI shells. The best choice is often determined by the way in which a computer will be used. On a server mainly used for data transfers and processing with expert administration, a CLI is likely to be the best choice. On the other hand, a GUI would be more appropriate for a computer to be used for image or video editing and the development of the above data.

Modern versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system use Windows Explorer as their shell. Explorer provides the familiar desktop environment, Start menu, and task bar, as well as the file management functions of the operating system. Older versions also include Program Manager which was the Shell for the 3.x series of Microsoft Windows. Microsoft Windows is the name of several families of proprietary software operating systems by Microsoft. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Windows Shell. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In computing, the task bar is a term for an application desktop bar which is most often used for the Windows 95 and later operating systems. ... Program Manager in Windows 3. ...

Many individuals and developers dissatisfied with the interface of Windows Explorer have developed software that either alters the functioning and appearance of the shell or replaces it entirely. WindowBlinds by StarDock is a good example of the former sort of application. LiteStep, GeoShell and BB4Win are good examples of the latter. WindowBlinds is a computer program that allows users to skin the Windows graphical user interface. ... Stardock Corporation is a software development company founded in 1991 and incorporated in 1993 as Stardock Systems, later known as Stardock. ... screenshot of a LiteStep Enabled windows computer, running the NonStep II theme LiteStep is a Windows shell replacement under the GPL, for Windows 9x and up. ... Geoshell (also: GeoShell, geOShell, etc. ...

List of shells

Graphical (GUI) shells

Graphical (GUI) shells typically build on top of a windowing system. In case of the X Window System, there are both independent X window managers, and complete desktop environments which depend on a window manager. A graphical user interface (or GUI, often pronounced gooey), is a particular case of user interface for interacting with a computer which employs graphical images and widgets in addition to text to represent the information and actions available to the user. ... A windowing system is a graphical user interface (GUI) which uses the window as one of its primary metaphors. ... KDE 3. ... An X window manager is software that controls the placement and appearance of application windows under the X Window System, a graphical user interface mainly used on Unix-like systems. ... It has been suggested that Desktop metaphor,Paper paradigm be merged into this article or section. ...

• AmigaOS environments:
  • Workbench (GUI-Shell capabilities added since AmigaOS 2.0)
  • Ambient (for MorphOS)
  • Directory Opus
  • ScalOS
  • Wanderer (for AROS.)

• DOS Shell
• Macintosh Finder

• Microsoft Windows environments:
  • Aston shell
  • BB4Win
  • Emerge Desktop
  • Geoshell
  • Litestep
  • Packard Bell Navigator
  • Program Manager
  • Secure Desktop
  • SharpE
  • Talisman Desktop
  • Windows Explorer
  • Microsoft Bob

• X Window System environments (primarily for Unix-like operating systems):
  • independent X window managers, such as Blackbox and Fluxbox
  • full desktop environments, such as:
    • CDE
    • GNOME
    • KDE
    • XFCE

AmigaOS is the default native operating system of the Amiga personal computer. ... Amiga Workbench (1985) Workbench is the name given to both the core AmigaOS software that is not stored in the Kickstart ROM (the Workbench disk), and also the native graphical shell for the Amiga computer. ... MorphOS is a mixed proprietary and open source operating system produced for the PegasosPPC hardware platform by a core development team and contributors. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Wanderer or Wanderers can refer to several things: In literature: The Wanderer, a novel by Fritz Leiber The Wanderer, a novel by Sharon Creech Le Grand Meaulnes (also known as The Wanderer), a 1913 novel by Alain-Fournier Wanderer, an Old English poem Wanderers, a fictionary non-humanoid alien race... AROS family/development tree. ... The DOS Shell for MS-DOS 6. ... The Finder is the default application program used on the Mac OS and Mac OS X operating systems that is responsible for the overall user-management of files, disks, network volumes and the launching of other applications. ... Microsoft Windows is the name of several families of proprietary software operating systems by Microsoft. ... Aston (also known as Astonshell and Aston Shell) is a commercial shell replacement application for Microsoft Windows 9x/NT/ME/2K/XP. Developed by Gladiators Software in the beginning of 1999, Aston has become quite popular and at present time its one of the most actively developed shell replacement... Geoshell (also: GeoShell, geOShell, etc. ... screenshot of a LiteStep Enabled windows computer, running the NonStep II theme LiteStep is a Windows shell replacement under the GPL, for Windows 9x and up. ... Packard Bell Navigator was an alternative shell for the Windows 3. ... Program Manager in Windows 3. ... Secure Desktop is a commercial desktop shell replacement application for Microsoft Windows 98/ME/NT4/2000/XP and Terminal Services for Windows 2000/2003 Server. ... There are several notable persons (real or fictitious) called Sharpe: John Robin Sharpe, child pornography advocate Lennox Sharpe, steelband composer Richard Sharpe, central character in the novel series Sharpe by Bernard Cornwell William Sharpe, politician and delegate to the US Continental Congress William Forsyth Sharpe, Nobel-prize winnning economist This... Talisman Desktop is a configurable Windows desktop shell replacement introduced in 1997 by Lighttek Software. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Windows Shell. ... A picture of the Microsoft Bob start up screen. ... KDE 3. ... Filiation of Unix and Unix-like systems Unix (officially trademarked as UNIX®) is a computer operating system originally developed in the 1960s and 1970s by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie and Douglas McIlroy. ... An X window manager is software that controls the placement and appearance of application windows under the X Window System, a graphical user interface mainly used on Unix-like systems. ... In Unix computing, Blackbox is a window manager for the X Window System. ... }} }}{{#if:|}}{{#if:Unix-like|}}{{#if:|}} }}{{#if:MIT|}} In Unix (and others including GNU/Linux) computing, Fluxbox is a window manager for the X Window System based on Blackbox 0. ... It has been suggested that Desktop metaphor,Paper paradigm be merged into this article or section. ... CDE on Unix (Solaris 8) DECwindows CDE on OpenVMS 7. ... A gnome (or Nisse) hiding behind a toadstool. ... KDE (K Desktop Environment) (IPA: ) is a free software project which aims to be a powerful ecosystem for an easy-to-use desktop environment. ... Xfce ([1]) is a free software desktop environment for Unix and other Unix-like platforms, such as Linux, Solaris and BSD. Its configuration is entirely mouse-driven and the configuration files are hidden from the casual user. ...

Text (CLI) shells

Non-Unix shells: It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Command prompt. ...

• AmigaOS - Amiga CLI/Amiga Shell which functioned as alternative to the Amiga GUI called Workbench
• Basic-Plus - RSTS/E
• CCP - console command processor of CP/M
• COMMAND.COM - shell for DOS
• cmd.exe - shell for OS/2 in text mode and for Windows NT and later Windows operating systems
• Commodore DOS Wedge - an extension to the Commodore 64's BASIC 2.0 that included shorthand for common disk operations
• DCL - the standard shell for OpenVMS, deriving from versions created for earlier DEC operating systems
• DDT - PDP-10 debugger from DEC used as a command shell for the MIT Incompatible Timesharing System
• DROS - J2ME Platform based DOS like shell for smart phones.
• iSeries QSHELL - 'UNIX style shell' on the IBM OS/400
• Macintosh Programmer's Workshop - old command line environment used for software development on the classic Mac OS
• Microsoft BASIC - the primary operating environment for a number of older 8-bit computer systems
• Windows PowerShell - an object-oriented replacement for cmd.exe (formerly known as Monad or the Microsoft Shell (MSH))
• Windows Recovery Console - feature of the Windows 2000 and Windows XP operating systems
• 4DOS, 4OS2, 4NT - shells for DOS, OS/2, and Windows NT written and sold by JP Software. The Take Command programs were compatible shells requiring and enjoying a GUI.

Shells for programming languages: Basic Plus (or Basic-Plus) was an extended dialect of the BASIC programming language developed by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) for use on its RSTS/E time_shared operating system for the PDP-11 series of 16-bit minicomputers in the early 1970s through the 1980s. ... RSTS/E (an acronym for Resource Sharing Time Sharing Extended) was a multi-user time-shared operating system developed by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) for the PDP-11 series of 16-bit minicomputers, and used primarily during the 1970s and 1980s, although some installations were still being upgraded well into... CP/M was an operating system originally created for Intel 8080/85 based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc. ... CP/M was an operating system originally created for Intel 8080/85 based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research, Inc. ... COMMAND.COM is the name for the default operating system shell (or command line interpreter) for DOS and 16/32bits versions of Windows (95/98/98 SE/Me). ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... cmd. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Windows NT is a family of operating systems produced by Microsoft, the first version of which was released in July 1993. ... Commodore is the commonly used name for Commodore International, was an American electronics company based in West Chester, Pennsylvania which was a vital player in the home/personal computer field in the 1980s. ... Startup message of DOS Wedge (DOS MANAGER) V5. ... The Commodore 64 is the best selling single personal computer model of all time. ... Screenshot of Atari BASIC, an early BASIC language for small computers. ... DCL is the standard Command line interface (CLI) adopted by most of the operating systems that were sold by the former Digital Equipment Corporation (which has since been acquired by Hewlett-Packard). ... OpenVMS[1] (Open Virtual Memory System or just VMS) is the name of a high-end computer server operating system that runs on the VAX[2] and Alpha[3] family of computers developed by Digital Equipment Corporation of Maynard, Massachusetts (DIGITAL was then purchased by Compaq, and is now owned... The DEC logo Digital Equipment Corporation was a pioneering American company in the computer industry. ... Dynamic Debugging Technique, or DDT, was the name of several debugger programs originally developed for DEC hardware, originally known as DEC Debugging Tape because it was distributed on paper tape. ... The PDP-10 was a computer manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) from the late 1960s on; the name stands for Programmed Data Processor model 10. It was the machine that made time-sharing common; it looms large in hacker folklore because of its adoption in the 1970s by many... Debug redirects here. ... DEC, dec or Dec may refer to: December - a month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar Department of Environment and Conservation Digital Equipment Corporation - a computer and technology company, now part of HP Declination - a term from astronomy Diethylcarbamazine - a drug commonly used to treat infections by filarial parasites... The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private, coeducational research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. ... ITS, the Incompatible Timesharing System, was an early, revolutionary, and influential MIT time-sharing operating system; it was developed principally by the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT, with some help from Project MAC. ITS development was initiated in the late 1960s by those (the majority of the MIT AI Lab... Startup message of DROS V0. ... Java Micro Edition (Java ME or as it used to be referred to J2ME), is a runtime and collection of Java APIs for the development of software for resource contrained devices such as PDAs, cell phones and other consumer appliances. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... International Business Machines Corporation (known as IBM or Big Blue; NYSE: IBM) is a multinational computer technology corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, USA. The company is one of the few information technology companies with a continuous history dating back to the 19th century. ... OS/400 is an operating system used on IBMs line of AS/400 (now called iSeries) minicomputers. ... MPW version 3. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Microsoft BASIC is the foundation product of the Microsoft company. ... Windows PowerShell, previously Microsoft Shell or MSH (codenamed Monad) is an extensible command line interface (CLI) shell and scripting language product developed by Microsoft. ... Look up Monad in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... The Windows 2000 Recovery Console selection, login, and command prompts. ... Windows 2000 (also referred to as Win2K) is a preemptible, interruptible, graphical and business-oriented operating system that is designed to work with either uniprocessor or symmetric multi-processor 32-bit Intel x86 computers. ... Windows XP is a line of proprietary operating systems developed by Microsoft for use on general-purpose computer systems, including home and business desktops, notebook computers, and media centers. ... 4DOS is a command line interpreter by JP Software originally designed to replace the DOS default command. ... 4DOS is a command line interpreter by JP Software, designed to replace the default command interpreter COMMAND.COM in DOS and Windows 95/98/Me. ... 4NT is a command line interpreter by JP Software, designed as a substitute for the default command interpreter cmd. ... ‹ The template below has been proposed for deletion. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Take Command is a series of real-time tactics computer games by MadMinute Games. ... GUI can refer to the following: GUI is short for graphical user interface, a term used to describe a type of interface in computing. ... A programming language is an artificial language that can be used to control the behavior of a machine, particularly a computer. ...

• JavaScript shell [1]
• JavaScript shell bookmarklet for IE [2]
• Python's standard interpreter can be invoked in a shell mode
• Interactive Ruby Shell interactive version of ruby
• GMLCMD - GML Shell
• BeanShell - Shell for Java

Unix shells: JavaScript is the name of Netscape Communications Corporations and now the Mozilla Foundations implementation of the ECMAScript standard, a scripting language based on the concept of prototype-based programming. ... JavaScript is the name of Netscape Communications Corporations and now the Mozilla Foundations implementation of the ECMAScript standard, a scripting language based on the concept of prototype-based programming. ... Python is a programming language created by Guido van Rossum in 1990. ... Interactive Ruby Shell (irb) is a shell for programming in the object-oriented scripting language Ruby. ... gmlcmd. ... BeanShell is a Java scripting language, invented by Pat Niemeyer. ... Screenshot of a sample Bash session, taken on Gentoo Linux. ...

• Bourne shell (sh)
  • Almquist shell (ash)
  • Bourne-Again shell (bash)
  • Korn shell (ksh)
  • Friendly interactive shell (fish)
• C shell (csh)
  • TENEX C shell (tcsh)
• Es shell (es)
• rc shell (rc) - shell for Plan 9 and Unix
• scsh (Scheme Shell)
• Z shell (zsh)

The Bourne shell, or sh, was the default Unix shell of Unix Version 7, and replaced the Thompson shell, whose executable file had the same name, sh. ... The Almquist shell (ash) is Kenneth Almquists clone of the Bourne shell. ... This article is about the UNIX shell named Bash. ... Korn shell logo. ... fish is a UNIX command shell. ... The C shell (csh) is a Unix shell developed by Bill Joy for the BSD Unix system. ... tcsh is a Unix shell, based on (and compatible with) the C shell (csh). ... The es shell is a Unix shell that uses the a scripting language similar to the rc shell. ... The rc shell is the command line interface for the Version 10 Unix and Plan 9 operating systems. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Filiation of Unix and Unix-like systems Unix (officially trademarked as UNIX®) is a computer operating system originally developed in the 1960s and 1970s by a group of AT&T employees at Bell Labs including Ken Thompson, Dennis Ritchie and Douglas McIlroy. ... Scsh is a POSIX API layered on top of the Scheme programming language (currently only a Scheme 48 implementation exists, but others are planned) in a manner to make the most of schemes capability for scripting. ... The Z shell (zsh) is a Unix shell that can be used both as an interactive, login shell and as a powerful shell script command interpreter. ...

See also

• Comparison of computer shells
• Shell account
• Shell script
• Batch file
• Unix shell
• DOS Shell
• Internet Explorer shell