As a Unix based operating system, MacOSX also provides the bash terminal and related configuration files like .bash_profile . The .bash_profile file is a hidden file that is used to configure the current user bash profile and attributes. The .bash_profile file contains the startup configuration and preferences during usage of the bash terminal and environment.
List .bash_profile File
There are different ways to list the .bash_profile file but the most basic and easy way is using the bash terminal and the ls -al command. The ls command lists the files and folders where -al options enable to list hidden files and folders.
$ ls -alCreate .bash_profile File
If the .bash_profile file does not exist or is deleted creating it is very easy. The .bash_profile file can be created by using the touch command like below.
$ touch ~/.bash_profileAlternatively, text editors can be used to create .bash_profile file like below. In the following example, we use the nano text editor.
$ nano .bash_profileOpen/Edit .bash_profile File
The .bash_profile file can be opened by using command line text editors or GUI text editors. The nano command line text editor can be used to open and edit .bash_profile.
$ nano ~/.bash_profileAlternatively, the GUI-based text editor of the MacOSX can be used with the following command.
$ open -a TextEdit.app ~/.bash_profileDelete .bash_profile File
Even the .bash_profile file contains a lot of useful configuration and settings we may require to delete it. The .bash_profile file can be deleted easily with the rm command via command-line interface.
$ rm .bash_profile