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Shell (computing)
 
 
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In computing, a shell is a piece of software that provides an interface
Interface (computer science)

Interface generally refers to an Abstraction_%28computer_science%29 that an entity provides of itself to the outside. This separates the methods of external communication from internal operation, and allows it to be internally modified without affecting the way outside entities interact with it, as well as provide Polymorphism in object-orien...
 for users. Typically, the term refers to an operating system
Operating system

An operating system is an interface between hardware and applications; it is responsible for the management and coordination of activities and the sharing of the limited resources of the computer....
 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
HTML

HTML, an Acronym and initialism of HyperText Markup Language, is the predominant markup language for Web pages. It provides a means to describe the structure of text-based information in a document?by denoting certain text as links, headings, paragraphs, lists, and so on?and to supplement that text with interactive forms, embedded '...
 rendering engines
Layout engine

A layout engine, or rendering engine, is software that takes Markup language content and formatting information and displays the formatted content on the screen....
. The name 'shell' originates from shells being an outer layer of interface between the user and the innards of the operating system (the kernel).

Operating system shells generally fall into one of two categories: command-line and graphical.






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In computing, a shell is a piece of software that provides an interface
Interface (computer science)

Interface generally refers to an Abstraction_%28computer_science%29 that an entity provides of itself to the outside. This separates the methods of external communication from internal operation, and allows it to be internally modified without affecting the way outside entities interact with it, as well as provide Polymorphism in object-orien...
 for users. Typically, the term refers to an operating system
Operating system

An operating system is an interface between hardware and applications; it is responsible for the management and coordination of activities and the sharing of the limited resources of the computer....
 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
HTML

HTML, an Acronym and initialism of HyperText Markup Language, is the predominant markup language for Web pages. It provides a means to describe the structure of text-based information in a document?by denoting certain text as links, headings, paragraphs, lists, and so on?and to supplement that text with interactive forms, embedded '...
 rendering engines
Layout engine

A layout engine, or rendering engine, is software that takes Markup language content and formatting information and displays the formatted content on the screen....
. The name 'shell' originates from shells being an outer layer of interface between the user and the innards of the operating system (the kernel).

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
Graphical user interface

A graphical user interface is a type of user interface which allows people to human-computer interaction such as computers; hand-held devices such as MP3 Players, Portable Media Players or Gaming devices; household appliances and office equipment....
 (GUI). In either category the primary purpose of the shell is to invoke or "launch" another program; however, shells frequently have additional capabilities such as viewing the contents of directories
Directory (file systems)

In computing, a directory, folder, catalog, or drawer is a virtual container within a digital file system, in which groups of files and other directories can be kept and organized....
.

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.

Text (CLI
Command line interface

A command-line interface is a mechanism for interacting with a computer operating system or software by typing commands to perform specific tasks....
) shells


Unix shells

Notable historic or popular Unix shell
Unix shell

A Unix shell is a command-line interpreter and script host that provides a traditional user interface for the Unix operating system and for Unix-like systems....
s include:
  • Bourne shell
    Bourne shell

    The Bourne shell, or sh, was the default Unix shell of Version 7 Unix, and replaced the Thompson shell, whose executable file had the same name, sh....
     (sh)
    • Almquist shell
      Almquist shell

      The Almquist shell was originally Kenneth Almquist's clone of the SVR4-variant of the Bourne shell; it is a fast, small, POSIX-compatible Unix shell designed to replace the Bourne shell in later BSD distributions....
       (ash)
      • Debian Almquist shell
        Debian Almquist shell

        Debian Almquist shell is a Unix shell, much smaller than bash but still aiming at POSIX-compliancy. It requires less disk space but is also less feature-rich....
         (dash)
    • Bourne-Again shell (bash)
    • Korn shell
      Korn shell

      The Korn shell is a Unix shell which was developed by David Korn in the early 1980s. It is backwards-compatible with the Bourne shell and includes many features of the C shell as well, such as a command history, which was inspired by the requests of Bell Labs users....
       (ksh)
  • C shell
    C shell

    The C shell is a Unix shell developed by Bill Joy for the Berkeley Software Distribution Unix system. It was originally derived from the 6th Edition Unix /bin/sh , the predecessor of the Bourne shell....
     (csh)
    • TENEX C shell (tcsh)
  • Es shell
    Es shell

    The es shell is a command line interpreter developed by Byron Rakitzis and Paul Haahr, that uses a scripting language similar to the rc shell of the Plan 9 from Bell Labs operating system....
     (es)
  • esh (Unix)
    Esh (Unix)

    The easy shell is a simple and lightweight Unix shell for Unix-like computer operating systems. It deviates completely from traditional shell syntax, using instead a Lisp -like syntax....
     – Easy Shell
  • friendly interactive shell
    Friendly interactive shell

    fish is a Unix shell. Its name is an acronym for friendly interactive shell. fish focuses on interactive use, discoverability, and user friendliness....
     (fish)
  • rc shell (rc) – shell for Plan 9
    Plan 9 from Bell Labs

    Plan 9 from Bell Labs is a distributed operating system, primarily used for research. It was developed as the research successor to Unix by the Computing Sciences Research Center at Bell Labs between the mid-1980s and 2002....
     and Unix
    Unix

    Unix is a computer operating system originally developed in 1969 by a group of American Telephone & Telegraph employees at Bell Labs, including Ken Thompson , Dennis Ritchie, Douglas McIlroy, and Joe Ossanna....
  • runscript – The initial shell interpreter used to process startup scripts in Gentoo
    Gentoo Linux

    Gentoo is a computer operating system built on top of the Linux Kernel and based on the Portage package management system. It is distributed as Free software....
  • scsh
    Scsh

    Scsh is a POSIX API layered on top of the Scheme in a manner to make the most of Scheme's capability for scripting. It is limited to 32-bit platforms....
     (Scheme Shell)
  • Stand-alone Shell
    Stand-alone shell

    Stand-alone shell is a Unix shell designed for use in recovering from certain types of system failures.The built in commands of sash have all static libraries, so unlike most shells, the standard UNIX commands do not rely on external libraries....
     (sash)
  • Z shell
    Z shell

    The Z shell is a Unix shell that can be used as an interactive login shell and as a powerful command line interpreter for shell scripting. Zsh can be thought of as an extended Bourne shell with a large number of improvements, including some of the most useful features of bash, Korn shell, and tcsh....
     (zsh)


Non-Unix shells

  • 4DOS
    4DOS

    4DOS is a command line interpreter by JP Software, designed to replace the default command interpreter COMMAND.COM in DOS and Windows 95/Windows 98/Windows Me....
    , 4OS2, 4NT
    4NT

    4NT is a command line interpreter by JP Software, designed as asubstitute for the default command interpreter in Microsoft Windows. 4NT is based on...
     – shells for DOS
    DOS

    DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is a shorthand term for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me....
    , OS/2
    OS/2

    OS/2 is a computer operating system, initially created by Microsoft and IBM, then later developed by IBM exclusively. The name stands for "Operating System/2," because it was introduced as part of the same generation change release as IBM's "IBM Personal System/2 " line of second-generation personal computers....
    , and Windows NT written and sold by JP Software. The Take Command
    Take Command (command line interpreter)

    Take Command is a command line interpreter for the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems. Its advantages over the regular Command Prompt are analogous to those of 4DOS over the COMMAND.COM supplied with MS-DOS....
     programs were compatible shells requiring and enjoying a GUI
    Gui

    Gui or guee is a generic term to refer to grillinged dishes in Korean cuisine. These most commonly have meat or fish as their primary ingredient, but may in some cases also comprise grilled vegetables or other vegetarian ingredients....
    .
  • Amiga CLI/Amiga Shell which functioned as alternative to the AmigaOS
    AmigaOS

    AmigaOS is the default native operating system of the Amiga personal computer. It was developed first by Commodore International, and initially introduced in 1985 with the Amiga 1000....
     GUI called Workbench
  • BASIC-PLUS
    BASIC-PLUS

    BASIC-PLUS was an extended dialect of the BASIC programming language developed by Digital Equipment Corporation for use on its RSTS/E time-sharing operating system for the PDP-11 series of 16-bit minicomputers in the early 1970s through the 1980s....
     – RSTS/E
    RSTS/E

    RSTS is a multi-user time-sharing operating system, developed by Digital Equipment Corporation , for the PDP-11 series of 16-bit minicomputers....
  • Beemos (BEEMos) – A small project that provides settings, appliations, and feels like a separate OS that runs over Windows XP
    Windows XP

    Windows XP is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptop, and media centers....
    .
  • CANDE MCS
    CANDE

    CANDE is a command line interface Shell and text editor on the Burroughs MCP operating system which runs on the Unisys Clearpath series of mainframes....
    – command line shell and text editor on the MCP
    MCP (Burroughs Large Systems)

    The MCP is the Proprietary software operating system of the Burroughs large systems including the Unisys Clearpath/MCP systems. Originally written in 1961 in ESPOL , which itself was an extension of Burroughs Corporation Extended ALGOL, in the 1970s it was converted to NEWP, a better structured, more robust, and more secure form of ESP...
     operating system
  • CCP
    CP/M

    CP/M is an operating system originally created for Intel 8080/Intel 8085 based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research. Initially confined to single tasking on 8-bit processors and no more than 64 kilobytes of memory, later versions of CP/M added multi-user variations, and were migrated to 16-bit processors....
     – console command processor of CP/M
    CP/M

    CP/M is an operating system originally created for Intel 8080/Intel 8085 based microcomputers by Gary Kildall of Digital Research. Initially confined to single tasking on 8-bit processors and no more than 64 kilobytes of memory, later versions of CP/M added multi-user variations, and were migrated to 16-bit processors....
  • cmd.exe
    Cmd.exe

    cmd.exe is the command line interpreter on OS/2, Windows CE and on Windows NT-based operating systems . It is the analog of COMMAND.COM in MS-DOS and Windows 9x systems, or of the Unix shells used on Unix-like systems....
     – shell for OS/2
    OS/2

    OS/2 is a computer operating system, initially created by Microsoft and IBM, then later developed by IBM exclusively. The name stands for "Operating System/2," because it was introduced as part of the same generation change release as IBM's "IBM Personal System/2 " line of second-generation personal computers....
    , Windows CE
    Windows CE

    Windows CE is Microsoft's operating system for minimalistic computers and embedded systems. Windows CE is a distinctly different operating system and Kernel , rather than a trimmed-down version of desktop Windows....
     and Windows NT
    Windows NT

    Windows NT is a family of operating systems produced by Microsoft, the first version of which was released in July 1993. It was originally designed to be a powerful high-level-language-based, processor-independent, multiprocessing, multiuser operating system with features comparable to Unix....
    -based operating systems
  • COMMAND.COM
    COMMAND.COM

    COMMAND.COM is the filename of the default operating system Shell for DOS operating systems and the default command line interpreter on 16/32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows ....
     – shell for DOS
    DOS

    DOS, short for "Disk Operating System", is a shorthand term for several closely related operating systems that dominated the IBM PC compatible market between 1981 and 1995, or until about 2000 if one includes the partially DOS-based Microsoft Windows versions Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows Me....
  • Commodore DOS Wedge
    DOS Wedge

    The DOS Wedge was a popular piece of Commodore 64 system software. Written by Bob Fairbairn, it was included by Commodore International on the Commodore 1541 Test/Demo Disk and also packaged with the Commodore 64 Macro Assembler Development System ....
     – an extension to the Commodore 64
    Commodore 64

    The Commodore 64 is an 8-bit home computer released by Commodore International in August, 1982, at a price of United States dollar595. Preceded by the Commodore VIC-20 and Commodore MAX Machine, the C64 features 64 kilobytes of Random-access memory with sound and graphics performance that were superior to IBM-compatible computers of tha...
    's BASIC
    BASIC

    In computer programming, BASIC is a family of high-level programming languages. The Dartmouth BASIC was designed in 1964 by John George Kemeny and Thomas Eugene Kurtz at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, United States to provide computer access to non-science students....
     2.0 that included shorthand for common disk operations
  • DCL
    DIGITAL Command Language

    DCL, the DIGITAL Command Language, is the standard command languageadopted by most of the operating systems that were sold by the former Digital Equipment Corporation ....
     – the standard shell for OpenVMS
    OpenVMS

    OpenVMS , previously known as VAX-11/VMS, VAX/VMS or VMS, is the name of a high-end computer server operating system that runs on the VAX and DEC Alpha families of computers, developed by Digital Equipment Corporation of Maynard, Massachusetts, Massachusetts , and most recently on Hewlett-Packard systems built around the In...
    , deriving from versions created for earlier DEC
    Digital Equipment Corporation

    Digital Equipment Corporation was a pioneering United States company in the computer industry. It is often referred to within the computing industry as DEC ....
     operating systems
  • DDT
    Dynamic debugging technique

    Dynamic Debugging Technique, or DDT, was the name of several debugger programs originally developed for Digital Equipment Corporation hardware, initially known as DEC Debugging Tape because it was distributed on paper tape)....
     – PDP-10
    PDP-10

    The PDP-10 was a mainframe computer manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation from the late 1960s on; the name stands for "Programmed Data Processor model 10"....
     debugger
    Debugger

    A debugger is a computer program that is used to test and debug other programs. The code to be examined might alternatively be running on an Instruction Set Simulator, a technique that allows great power in its ability to halt when specific conditions are encountered but which will typically be much slower than executing the code directly on...
     from DEC
    Dec

    DEC, dec or Dec may refer to:Places* Dec, a village in Serbia* Decatur Airport, Decatur, Illinois * Derwent Entertainment Centre, an entertainment centre in Hobart, Australia...
     used as a command shell for the MIT
    Massachusetts Institute of Technology

    The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private university research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Massachusetts, United States....
     Incompatible Timesharing System
    Incompatible Timesharing System

    ITS, the Incompatible Timesharing System , was an early, revolutionary, and influential time-sharing operating system from Massachusetts Institute of Technology; it was developed principally by the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory at MIT, with some help from Project MAC....
  • DROS – Java ME
    Java Platform, Micro Edition

    In computing, the Java Platform, Micro Edition or Java ME is a specification of a subset of the Java platform aimed at providing a certified collection of Java Application Programming Interfaces for the development of software for tiny, small and resource-constrained devices....
     platform based DOS like shell for smart phones
    Smartphone

    A smartphone is a mobile phone offering advanced capabilities beyond a typical mobile phone, often with personal computer-like functionality. There is no industry standard definition of a smartphone....
    .
  • EFI-SHELL
    Extensible Firmware Interface

    The Extensible Firmware Interface is a specification that defines a software interface between an operating system and platform firmware. EFI is intended as a significantly improved replacement of the old legacy BIOS firmware interface historically used by all IBM PC compatible personal computers....
     – an open source Extensible Firmware Interface
    Extensible Firmware Interface

    The Extensible Firmware Interface is a specification that defines a software interface between an operating system and platform firmware. EFI is intended as a significantly improved replacement of the old legacy BIOS firmware interface historically used by all IBM PC compatible personal computers....
     command shell
  • Google Shell
    Google Shell

    Google Shell, or goosh, is an open source browser based Unix-like shell used as a front end for Google search. Written in AJAX the results are shown directly on the page....
     – Browser based front end for Google Search
    Google search

    Google search is a Web search engine owned by Google, and is the most used search engine on the World Wide Web. Google receives several hundred million queries each day through its various services....
  • iSeries QSHELL
    ISeries QSHELL

    iSeries QSHELL is a command line interpreter running on the IBM System i computer platform. Qshell is based on POSIX and X/Open standards. IBM created the Qshell interpreter primarily to provide support for the Java Development Kit on their iSeries line of computers....
     – 'UNIX style shell' on the IBM
    IBM

    International Business Machines Corporation, abbreviated IBM and nicknamed "Big Blue" , is a multinational corporation computer technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, New York, United States....
     OS/400
    OS/400

    IBM i is an operating system used on IBM Power Systems, a unified server platform from the former IBM System i and IBM System p servers. IBM i was formerly known as i5/OS or OS/400....
  • Macintosh Programmer's Workshop
    Macintosh Programmer's Workshop

    Macintosh Programmer's Workshop or MPW, is a software development environment for the Classic Mac OS, written by Apple Computer. For Apple Macintosh developers, it was one of the primary tools for building applications for System 7.x and Mac OS 8.x and 9.x....
     – old command line environment used for software development on the classic Mac OS
    Mac OS

    Mac OS is the trademarked name for a series of graphical user interface-based operating systems developed by Apple Inc. for their Macintosh line of computer systems....
  • Microsoft BASIC
    Microsoft BASIC

    Microsoft BASIC was the foundation product of the Microsoft company. It first appeared in 1975 as Altair BASIC, which was the first BASIC programming language available for the Altair 8800 hobbyist microcomputer....
     – the primary operating environment for a number of older 8-bit computer systems
  • Rexx
    REXX

    REXX is an Interpreted language programming language which was developed at IBM. It is a structured high-level programming language which was designed to be both easy to learn and easy to read....
     – IBM's scripting languages
  • Singularity shell
    Singularity (operating system)

    Singularity is an experimental operating system being built by Microsoft Research since 2003. It is intended as a highly-Dependability OS in which the kernel , device drivers, and applications are all written in managed code....
     – the standard shell for Singularity
    Singularity (operating system)

    Singularity is an experimental operating system being built by Microsoft Research since 2003. It is intended as a highly-Dependability OS in which the kernel , device drivers, and applications are all written in managed code....
  • Windows PowerShell
    Windows PowerShell

    Windows PowerShell is an extensible command line interface shell and associated scripting language from Microsoft. It was released in 2006 and is currently available for Windows XP SP2/SP3, Windows Server 2003, Windows Vista and is included in Windows Server 2008 as well as Windows 7 as an optional feature....
     – the object-oriented successor of cmd.exe (formerly known as Monad or the Microsoft Shell (MSH))
  • Windows Recovery Console
    Recovery Console

    The Recovery Console is a feature of the Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 operating systems. It provides the means for administrators to perform a limited range of tasks using a command line interface....
     – feature of the Windows 2000
    Windows 2000

    Windows 2000 is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on business desktops, Laptop, and Server . Released on 17 February, 2000, it was the successor to Windows NT 4.0, and is the final release of Microsoft Windows to display the "Windows NT" designation....
    , Windows XP
    Windows XP

    Windows XP is a line of operating systems produced by Microsoft for use on personal computers, including home and business desktops, laptop, and media centers....
     and Windows 2003 operating systems
  • YouShell
    YouOS

    YouOS was a web desktop and web integrated development environment, developed by by WebShaka until June 2008.YouOS replicated the desktop environment of a modern operating system on a webpage, using JavaScript to communicate with the remote Server ....
     - JavaScript based command processor of YouOS
    YouOS

    YouOS was a web desktop and web integrated development environment, developed by by WebShaka until June 2008.YouOS replicated the desktop environment of a modern operating system on a webpage, using JavaScript to communicate with the remote Server ....


Shells for programming languages

Noteworthy interactive versions of programming language
Programming language

A programming language is a machine-readable artificial language designed to express computations that can be performed by a machine, particularly a computer....
s include:
  • The Read-eval-print loop
    Read-eval-print loop

    A read-eval-print loop , also known as an interactive toplevel, is a simple, interactive computer programming environment. The term is most usually used to refer to a Lisp programming language interactive environment, but can be applied to command line interface shell and similar environments for Smalltalk, Python , Ruby , Haskell , AP...
     commonly associated with Lisp, but used in other programming languages as well
  • BeanShell
    BeanShell

    BeanShell is a Java scripting language, invented by Patrick Niemeyer. It runs in the Java Runtime Environment and utilizes Java syntax, in addition to scripting commands and syntax....
     – Shell for Java
  • Firebug
    Firebug (Firefox extension)

    The Firebug extension for Mozilla Firefox allows the debugging, editing, and monitoring of any website's CSS, HTML, Document Object Model, and JavaScript, and provides other Web development....
     – JavaScript shell and debugging environment as Firefox plugin
  • GMLCMD – GML Shell
  • Interactive Ruby Shell
    Interactive Ruby Shell

    Interactive Ruby Shell is a shell for programming in the Object-oriented programming scripting language Ruby programming language. IRB is run from the Command line interface and allows the programmer to experiment with code in real time....
     – interactive version of Ruby
  • JavaScript shell – Several programs by this name allow interactive JavaScript
  • PHPsh – Shell for PHP
    PHP

    PHP is a scripting language originally designed for producing dynamic web pages. It has evolved to include a command line interface capability and can be used in Standalone software Graphical user interface....
  • Python
    Python (programming language)

    Python is a general-purpose high-level programming language. Its design philosophy emphasizes code readability. Python's core syntax and semantics are Minimalism , while the standard library is large and comprehensive....
    's standard interpreter can be invoked in a shell mode


Graphical (GUI
Graphical user interface

A graphical user interface is a type of user interface which allows people to human-computer interaction such as computers; hand-held devices such as MP3 Players, Portable Media Players or Gaming devices; household appliances and office equipment....
) shells


On Microsoft Windows

Modern versions of the Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows

Microsoft Windows is a series of software operating systems and graphical user interfaces produced by Microsoft. Microsoft first introduced an operating environment named Windows in November 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces ....
 operating system use Windows Shell
Windows Shell

The Microsoft Windows Shell is the main GUI in Windows. The Windows shell includes well-known Windows components such as the Taskbar and the Start menu....
 as their shell. Explorer provides the familiar desktop environment
Desktop environment

In graphical computing, a desktop environment commonly refers to a style of graphical user interface that is based on the desktop metaphor which can be seen on most modern personal computers today....
, start menu
Start menu

The Start Menu and Start Button are graphical user interface elements in the Microsoft Windows line of operating systems, which serve as the central launching point for application and tasks....
, and task bar, as well as the file management functions of the operating system. Older versions also include Program Manager
Program Manager

Program Manager is the Shell of Windows 3.1x and Windows NT 3.x operating systems. This shell exposed a task-oriented graphical user interface , consisting of icon s arranged into program groups....
 which was the shell for the 3.x series of Microsoft Windows.

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
WindowBlinds

WindowBlinds is a computer program that allows users to skin the Microsoft Windows graphical user interface. It has been developed by Stardock since 1998, and is the most popular component of their flagship software suite, Object Desktop....
 by StarDock
Stardock

Stardock Corporation is a software development company founded in 1991 and incorporation in 1993 as Stardock Systems. Stardock initially developed for the OS/2 platform, but was forced to switch to Microsoft Windows due to the collapse of the OS/2 software market between 1997 and 1998....
 is a good example of the former sort of application. LiteStep
LiteStep

LiteStep is a Microsoft Windows Shell replacement licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License , for Windows 9x and up. It was inspired by AfterStep, which in turn was inspired by Nextstep....
, GeoShell
GeoShell

GeoShell is a Windows shell replacement for the Microsoft Microsoft Windows operating systems. It replaces the default Windows Explorer interface....
 and BB4Win are good examples of the latter.

On the X Window System

Graphical (GUI
Graphical user interface

A graphical user interface is a type of user interface which allows people to human-computer interaction such as computers; hand-held devices such as MP3 Players, Portable Media Players or Gaming devices; household appliances and office equipment....
) shells typically build on top of a windowing system
Windowing system

A windowing system is a component of a graphical user interface , and more specifically of a desktop environment, which supports the implementation of window managers, and provides basic support for graphics hardware, pointing devices such as mice, and keyboards....
. In case of the X Window System
X Window System

The X Window System is a computing software system and network protocol that provides a graphical user interface for networked computers. It implements the X Window System protocols and architecture and provides windowing system on raster graphics Visual display units and manages Keyboard and pointing device control functions....
, there are both independent X window manager
X window manager

An X window manager is a window manager which runs on top of the X Window System, a windowing system mainly used on Unix-like systems.Unlike the Mac OS and Microsoft Windows platforms, which have historically provided a vendor-controlled, fixed set of ways to control how windows and paned windows display on a Computer display, and how the...
s, and complete desktop environment
Desktop environment

In graphical computing, a desktop environment commonly refers to a style of graphical user interface that is based on the desktop metaphor which can be seen on most modern personal computers today....
s which depend on a window manager.

X Window System environments (primarily for Unix-like
Unix-like

A Unix-like operating system is one that behaves in a manner similar to a Unix system, while not necessarily conforming to or being certified to any version of the Single UNIX Specification....
 operating systems):
  • independent X window managers, such as Blackbox
    Blackbox

    In Unix computing, Blackbox is a X window manager for the X Window System.Blackbox has specific design goals, and some functionality is provided only through other applications....
     and Fluxbox
    Fluxbox

    In Unix computing, Fluxbox is an X window manager fork on Blackbox 0.61.1. It aims to be lightweight and customizable, and has minimal support for graphical icon ....
  • desktop shells, such as Enlightenment DR17
  • full desktop environments, such as:
    • CDE
      Common Desktop Environment

      The Common Desktop Environment is a desktop environment for Unix, based on the Motif widget toolkit. Hewlett-Packard OpenVMS uses CDE as its standard desktop environment....
    • GNOME
      Gnome

      A gnome is a mythical creature characterized by its extremely small size and wiktionary:subterranean lifestyle. The word gnome is derived from the New Latin gnomus....
    • KDE
      KDE

      KDE is a free software project based around its flagship product, a desktop environment for Unix-like systems. The goal of the project is to provide basic desktop functions and applications for daily needs as well as tools and documentation for developers to write stand-alone applications for the system....
    • Xfce
      Xfce

      Xfce is a free software desktop environment for Unix and other Unix-like platforms, such as Linux, Solaris and BSD. It aims to be fast and lightweight, while still being visually appealing and easy to use....


On other platforms

  • Amiga
    Amiga

    The Amiga is a family of personal computers originally developed by Amiga Corporation. Development on the Amiga began in 1982 with Jay Miner as the principal hardware designer....
     environments:
    • Ambient
      Ambient desktop

      Ambient is a Magic User Interface based desktop environment for MorphOS. Its development was started in 2001 by David Gerber. Main goals were that should be simple and fast....
       (for MorphOS
      MorphOS

      MorphOS is a computer operating system . It is a mixed proprietary software and open source OS produced for the Pegasos PowerPC -processor-based computer, most models of PPC-accelerator-equipped Amiga computers, and a series of Freescale development boards that use the Genesi Firmware, including the EFIKA and mobileGT....
      )
    • Directory Opus
      Directory Opus

      Directory Opus is a popular file manager program, originally written for the Amiga computer system in the early to mid 1990s. Development on the Amiga version ceased in 1997, but an entirely re-written version of Directory Opus is still being actively developed and sold for the Microsoft Windows operating system by ....
    • ScalOS
    • Wanderer (for AROS.)
    • Workbench
      Workbench (AmigaOS)

      Sorry, no overview for this topic
       (GUI-Shell capabilities added since Kickstart 2.0)


  • DOS Shell
    DOS Shell

    The DOS operating system shell is a file manager, first debuted in MS-DOS and PC-DOS 4.0 . It was discontinued after version 6.0, but retained as part of the "Supplemental Disk" until 6.22 for MS-DOS; as such, it was not a core part of the operating system throughout its evolution, but rather an add-on....
  • Finder (software) (for Mac OS X
    Mac OS X

    Mac OS X is a line of computer operating systems developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc., and since 2002 has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems....
    )
  • MirageOS
    MirageOS

    MirageOS is a graphical assembly shell for the Texas Instruments TI-83 series and TI-84 Plus seriesFeaturesMirageOS provides a customizable GUI interface to facilitate loading assembly programs and TI-BASIC programs....
     (for TI-83 and TI-84 series graphing calculators)


See also

  • Batch file
    Batch file

    In DOS, OS/2, and Microsoft Windows, a batch file is a text file containing a series of Command intended to be executed by the Command line interpreter....
  • Comparison of computer shells
    Comparison of computer shells

    A command shell is a command line interface computer program to an operating system.ReferencesExternal links...
  • DOS Shell
    DOS Shell

    The DOS operating system shell is a file manager, first debuted in MS-DOS and PC-DOS 4.0 . It was discontinued after version 6.0, but retained as part of the "Supplemental Disk" until 6.22 for MS-DOS; as such, it was not a core part of the operating system throughout its evolution, but rather an add-on....
  • Internet Explorer shell
    Internet Explorer shell

    An Internet Explorer shell is computer software that uses the Trident layout engine of Internet Explorer. Although the term Trident shell is probably more accurate for describing these applications, including Internet Explorer itself, the term Internet Explorer shell or IE shell is in common parlance....
  • Shell account
    Shell account

    A shell account is a personal account that gives a user access to a Unix shell on a remote server, usually accessed through Secure Shell . A shell account can be used for many different purposes because many different programs can be run on the shell....
  • Shell builtin
    Shell builtin

    In computing, a shell builtin is a Command or a Subroutine, called from a Shell , that is executed directly in the shell itself, instead of an external executable computer program which the shell would load and execute....
  • Shell script
    Shell script

    A shell script is a Scripting language written for the Shell , or command line interpreter, of an operating system. It is often considered a simple domain-specific programming language....
  • Unix shell
    Unix shell

    A Unix shell is a command-line interpreter and script host that provides a traditional user interface for the Unix operating system and for Unix-like systems....