type (Unix)

<h2 id="function">Function</h2>

<p>Where applicable, type will display the command name's path.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:1" href="#fn:1"><sup>1</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a> Possible command types are:
</p>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Shell_builtin/9o8PrWpa">shell built-in</a></li>
<li>function</li>
<li><a href="/facts/Alias_(command)/BL5hJMxl">alias</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Hash_(Unix)/q8zz11eU">hashed command</a></li>
<li>keyword</li></ul>
<p>The command returns a non-zero <a href="/facts/Exit_status/V3uTvuNo">exit status</a> if command names cannot be found.
</p>
<h3>Examples</h3>
$ type test
test is a shell builtin
$ type cp
cp is /bin/cp
$ type unknown
unknown not found
$ type type
type is a shell builtin

<h2 id="history">History</h2>
<p>The type command was a <a href="/facts/Shell_builtin/9o8PrWpa">shell builtin</a> for <a href="/facts/Bourne_shell/wUCh3Qkl">Bourne shell</a> that was introduced in <a href="/facts/SVR2/Epm6GEY4">AT&T's System V Release 2 (SVR2)</a> in 1984,<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a> and continues to be included in many other POSIX-compatible shells such as <a href="/facts/Bash_(Unix_shell)/RrYLtEJT">Bash</a>. However, type is not part of the <a href="/facts/POSIX/mQkSt234">POSIX standard</a>. With a POSIX shell, similar behavior is retrieved with
</p>
command -V name

<p>In the <a href="/facts/KornShell/MMp8fQ4A">KornShell</a>, the command whence provides similar functionality.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a>
</p><p>The command is available as a separate package for <a href="/facts/Microsoft_Windows/bwhAhuSL">Microsoft Windows</a> as part of the <a href="/facts/UnxUtils/CsUBGmUM">UnxUtils</a> collection of <a href="/facts/Native_(computing)/yNez4jAK">native</a> <a href="/facts/Windows_API/RRw4RtTu">Win32</a> <a href="/facts/Porting/7s6tFs8B">ports</a> of common <a href="/facts/GNU/HlAKKBdt">GNU</a> Unix-like utilities.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a>
</p>
<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>

The Wikibook <i>Guide to Unix</i> has a page on the topic of: <i>Commands</i>

<ul><li><a href="/facts/List_of_Unix_commands/EEuIsUx9">List of Unix commands</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Which_(command)/ICvpt3Wn">which (command)</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Hash_(Unix)/q8zz11eU">hash (Unix)</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>"Use Type Command in Linux to Get More Info About Commands". Linux Handbook. 2020-05-11. Retrieved 2025-02-09. <a href="https://linuxhandbook.com/type-command/" target="_blank">https://linuxhandbook.com/type-command/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>"type command in Linux with Examples". GeeksforGeeks. 2019-05-06. Retrieved 2025-02-09. <a href="https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/type-command-in-linux-with-examples/" target="_blank">https://www.geeksforgeeks.org/type-command-in-linux-with-examples/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>"traditional Bourne shell family / history and development". www.in-ulm.de. Retrieved 2018-10-07. <a href="https://www.in-ulm.de/~mascheck/bourne/index.html" target="_blank">https://www.in-ulm.de/~mascheck/bourne/index.html</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>Siever, Ellen (27 July 2005). Linux in a Nutshell. Nutshell handbooks. O'Reilly Media, Inc. (published 2005). p. 695. ISBN 9780596009304. Retrieved 2016-07-05. whence [...] Korn shell only. Show whether each command is a Unix command, a built-in command, a defined shell function, or an alias. <a href="9780596009304" target="_blank">9780596009304</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:5"><p>Native Win32 ports of some GNU utilities <a href="http://unxutils.sourceforge.net/" target="_blank">http://unxutils.sourceforge.net/</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

type (Unix) open-in-new

type (Unix)