enable Command in Linux

enable is a built-in Linux command that is used to enable or disable built-in shell commands on a system. This command is pretty useful in case when someone wants to manage shell functions and services. For example, you can use this command to enable or disable specific commands or services like printers.

When you enable a command, you can use that command in the shell. Conversely, disabling a command will prevent it from being executed on the terminal.

Here is a comprehensive guide to the options available with the enable command −

Syntax for enable Command in Linux
Different Options Available for enable Command
Examples of enable Command in Linux

Syntax for enable Command in Linux

The syntax for the enable command in Linux is quite straightforward. You start by typing enable, followed by any options you want to use, and then the name of the built-in command you want to enable. Here’s a basic structure −

enable [OPTION]... [builtin_command_name]...

Here,

enable is the command itself.
[OPTION] are optional flags that modify the command’s behavior.
[builtin_command_name] is the name of the built-in command you want to enable.

Different Options Available for enable Command

Here’s a table describing different options available for the enable command in Linux −

Option	Description
-a	Lists all built-in shell commands. This helps you see which commands are available for enabling or disabling.
-d	Deletes a built-in command that was loaded with the -f option. This helps in managing and cleaning up built-in commands that are no longer needed.
-f	Loads a built-in command from a shared object file. This allows you to add new built-in commands dynamically.
-n	Disables a specified built-in command. Use this option when you want to prevent a command from being executed.
-p	Displays the path to the shared object file for a built-in command. This is useful for debugging or understanding where the command is located.
-s	Enables a built-in command silently, without displaying any output. This can be useful for scripting purposes.
--help	Displays help section of enable command.

Examples of enable Command in Linux

Let’s discuss a few examples of enable command in Linux system −

Enable a Built-in Command
Enable Multiple Commands
Enable a Command Silently
Disable a Built-in Command
Delete a Loaded Built-in Command

Enable a Built-in Command

As mentioned earlier, the purpose of enable command is to enable built-in shell commands. You can do this by using the enable command followed by the command name you want to enable. For example, to enable a command named echo on Linux, you can use the following command −

enable echo

You can list all enabled built-in commands using the enable -a option to verify your command is successfully enabled on the system −

enable -a

Enable Multiple Commands

Besides enabling a single command, you can also use the enable command to enable multiple commands at once. Here is an example of enabling commands like echo and cd on Linux −

enable echo cd

Enable a Command Silently

You can also enable a command in a silent way without displaying an output by using the enable command with -s options. For example −

enable -s echo

Disable a Built-in Command

You can also disable a built-in command by using the -n option with the enable command followed by the command name. For example, to disable the wait command, you can use the following command −

enable -n wait

You can also disable multiple commands using the same option followed by the names of the commands with a space between them. For example −

enable -n wait echo

Delete a Loaded Built-in Command

If you want to delete a built-in command that was loaded with the -f option, you can use the -d option with the enable command followed by the command name. For example, to delete a custom command named mycommand from Linux, you can use the below-given command −

enable -n mycommand

Note − If you loaded a custom command from a shared object file, you can delete it using the above method. However, the built-in commands that are part of the shell by default like echo, cd, etc. cannot be deleted, only disabled.

That’s how you can use the enable command on Linux to enable or disable specific commands on the system.

Conclusion

The enable command is a power tool in Linux for managing built-in shell commands. It allows users to enable or disable specific commands, and provide flexibility in how the shell functions and services are managed. In this guide, we have discussed the syntax for the enable commands followed by a table that includes different options you can use with the command. Apart from that, examples are provided to help you in understanding the usage of enable commands on Linux systems. By using various options, the users can enable built-in commands, disable commands, or delete dynamically loaded commands, and more.

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