AI engineering glossary · Command line Git
What is shell profile?
Shell profile (also called rc file, bashrc): A startup file such as ~/.bashrc, ~/.bash_profile or ~/.zshrc that a shell reads when it starts, used to define aliases, PATH changes and environment variables. Edits take effect in new sessions or after running source on the file.
Shell profile: an example
Adding alias gs='git status' to ~/.zshrc and running source ~/.zshrc makes gs available immediately.
Related terms
More Command line Git terms
Where you learn it
Shell profile is part of the AI Engineering Program, which teaches it with notes, a hands-on lab and an exam. The first lesson is free.