.bashrc vs .bash_profile: What is the Difference?

When you open a terminal or log in to a Linux system, Bash reads and executes commands from a set of startup files. These files let you customize your shell environment — creating aliases , adding directories to $PATH , setting environment variables , and changing the shell prompt.

Which startup file Bash reads depends on whether the shell is a login or non-login shell. This guide explains the difference between .bashrc and .bash_profile, when each file is loaded, and where to put your customizations.

Interactive vs Non-Interactive Shells #

A shell can be either interactive or non-interactive:

• Interactive shell — A shell that reads input from the user and writes output to the terminal. This is what you use when you type commands at a prompt.
• Non-interactive shell — A shell that runs without user interaction, such as when executing a Bash script . Non-interactive shells do not read .bashrc or .bash_profile.

Login vs Non-Login Shells #

An interactive shell can be either a login or a non-login shell:

• Login shell — Invoked when you log in to the system. This includes logging in via SSH , logging in at a local console, or starting Bash with the --login option.
• Non-login shell — Invoked when you open a new terminal window or tab in a graphical desktop, or when you type bash inside an existing shell.

You can check whether your current shell is a login shell by running:

shopt login_shell

If the output is login_shell on, it is a login shell. If it is login_shell off, it is a non-login shell.

Startup File Loading Order #

When Bash starts as an interactive login shell, it reads the following files in order:

1. /etc/profile — System-wide settings. This file usually sources scripts from /etc/profile.d/.
2. ~/.bash_profile — User-specific login settings. If this file does not exist, Bash looks for ~/.bash_login, then ~/.profile, and executes commands from the first one it finds.

When Bash starts as an interactive non-login shell, it reads only:

1. ~/.bashrc — User-specific shell settings.

The following table summarizes which files are read in each scenario:

Difference Between .bashrc and .bash_profile #

.bash_profile is executed once when you log in. .bashrc is executed every time you open a new interactive shell.

In practice, most users want their customizations to be available in every shell — both login and non-login. The standard approach is to put all your customizations in ~/.bashrc and have ~/.bash_profile source it:

if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then
    . ~/.bashrc
fi

With this setup, both login and non-login shells load the same configuration.

Where to Put What #

.profile vs .bash_profile #

Many Linux distributions use ~/.profile instead of ~/.bash_profile. The difference is:

• ~/.bash_profile — Read only by Bash.
• ~/.profile — Read by Bash and other POSIX-compatible shells (sh, dash).

If both ~/.bash_profile and ~/.profile exist, Bash reads only ~/.bash_profile and ignores ~/.profile. If you want ~/.profile to be read, either remove ~/.bash_profile or source ~/.profile from within it.

Ubuntu and Debian create ~/.profile by default and do not create ~/.bash_profile. Fedora and RHEL create ~/.bash_profile.

macOS Note #

On macOS, Terminal.app and iTerm2 open login shells by default, which is the opposite of most Linux terminal emulators. This means ~/.bash_profile (or ~/.zprofile for zsh) is read every time you open a terminal window on macOS.

Since macOS Catalina (2019), the default shell on macOS is zsh, not Bash. The zsh equivalents are:

If any of these startup files do not exist on your system, you can create them .

Quick Reference #

Troubleshooting #

Aliases do not work when connecting via SSH
SSH opens a login shell, which reads ~/.bash_profile but not ~/.bashrc. Add . ~/.bashrc inside your ~/.bash_profile so that aliases are loaded in login shells as well.

PATH changes in .bashrc are not applied
Make sure ~/.bash_profile sources ~/.bashrc. Without this, login shells do not read ~/.bashrc and your PATH changes are ignored.

Changes to .bashrc do not take effect
After editing ~/.bashrc, either open a new terminal or run source ~/.bashrc to apply the changes in the current shell.

Both .bash_profile and .profile exist but only one is used
If ~/.bash_profile exists, Bash ignores ~/.profile. Either consolidate your settings into one file or have ~/.bash_profile source ~/.profile.

FAQ #

Which file should I edit to add an alias?
Add aliases to ~/.bashrc. As long as ~/.bash_profile sources ~/.bashrc, your aliases will be available in both login and non-login shells.

Why does my terminal not read .bash_profile?
Most Linux terminal emulators (GNOME Terminal, Konsole, xfce4-terminal) open non-login shells, which read ~/.bashrc instead of ~/.bash_profile. Only SSH sessions, console logins, and bash --login trigger a login shell.

What is the difference between source and .?
They are equivalent. Both execute commands from a file in the current shell. . ~/.bashrc and source ~/.bashrc do the same thing. The . syntax is POSIX-compatible, while source is a Bash extension.

Does .bashrc run when I execute a script?
No. Scripts run in a non-interactive shell, which does not read ~/.bashrc unless the script explicitly sources it or the BASH_ENV variable is set to point to it.

Where should I put environment variables for GUI applications?
GUI applications do not read .bashrc or .bash_profile. On systemd-based systems, put environment variables in ~/.config/environment.d/*.conf or set them in your desktop environment settings.

Conclusion #

.bash_profile is read by login shells and .bashrc is read by non-login interactive shells. The simplest setup is to put all your customizations in ~/.bashrc and have ~/.bash_profile source it. This way, your aliases, PATH, and environment variables are available in every interactive shell.

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment below.

About the authors

Dejan Panovski

Dejan Panovski is the founder of Linuxize, an RHCSA-certified Linux system administrator and DevOps engineer based in Skopje, Macedonia. Author of 800+ Linux tutorials with 20+ years of experience turning complex Linux tasks into clear, reliable guides.

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