Minishell — Bash-like Shell in C
A custom Unix shell built from scratch in C that replicates core Bash behaviors: command execution, piping, redirections, environment variables, and signal handling — with strict memory safety discipline.
Overview
This project is a deep dive into how operating systems handle command execution and process control. By building a Bash-like shell from scratch in C, we replicated core Unix behaviors — from parsing user input to executing commands, managing processes, and handling pipes and redirections with precision.
Technical depth
The shell implements accurate Bash-like behavior, including command parsing with quoting rules, environment variable expansion, and signal handling (Ctrl+C, Ctrl+D, Ctrl+\). It supports pipes, input/output redirections, and process creation using fork/exec, while ensuring memory safety and robust error handling across edge cases.
What we learned
This project strengthened our understanding of low-level systems programming: process lifecycle, inter-process communication through pipes, file descriptors, and POSIX standards. We deepened our knowledge of Bash command execution, shell scripting fundamentals, and how to write clean, reliable C code under strict constraints — essential skills for systems and backend engineering.
Key features & competencies
- Command execution with pipelines and I/O redirections
- Environment variable handling aligned with Bash semantics
- Signal handling (SIGINT, SIGQUIT, EOF) for interactive use
- Memory-safe C code with strict error handling discipline
Want to build something similar?
I’m open to collaborating on web applications, automation systems, or performance-focused websites.