command — Run a simple command

Format

command [–p] command-name [argument…]
command [–V|–v] command-name

Description

command causes the shell to suppress its function lookup and execute the given command-name and arguments as though they made up a standard command line. In most cases, if command-name is not the name of a function, the results are the same as omitting command. If, however, command-name is a special built-in command, (see sh), some unique properties of special built-in commands do not apply:

A syntax error in the command does not cause the shell running the command to stop.
Variable assignments specified with the special built-in command do not remain in effect after the shell runs the command.

Options

–p: Searches for command-name using the system default PATH variable.
–v: Writes a string indicating the path name or command that the shell uses to invoke command-name.
–V: Writes a string indicating how the shell interprets command-name. If command-name is a command, a regular built-in command, or an implementation-provided function found using the PATH variable, the string identifies it as such and includes the absolute path name. If command-name is an alias, function, special built-in command, or reserved word, the string identifies it as such and includes its definition if it is an alias. If the command is a tracked alias, the string identifies it as cached.

Examples

Typically, you use command when you have a command that might have the same name as a function. For example, here's a definition of a cd function that not only switches to a new directory but also uses lc to list the contents of that directory:

function cd {
    command cd $1
    lc
}

Inside the function, use command to get at the real cd. Otherwise, the cd function would call itself in an infinite recursion.

Localization

command uses the following localization environment variables:

LANG
LC_ALL
LC_CTYPE
LC_MESSAGES
NLSPATH

See Localization for more information.

Usage notes

command is a built-in shell command.

Exit values

If you specified –v, possible exit status values are:

0: Successful completion
1: command could not find command-name, or an error occurred
2: Failure due to incorrect command-line argument

If you did not specify –v, possible exit status values are:

126: command found command-name, but failed to invoke it.
127: An error occurred in the command or it could not find command-name.

Otherwise, the exit status of command is the exit status of command-name.

Portability

POSIX.2.