Interview Questions/Phone Screen/Bash Shebang & Execute Bit
BeginnerPhone
1 min

Bash Shebang & Execute Bit

LinuxScriptingSystem Administration
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Interview Question

What does the shebang line do in a script, and what permission is required to run it directly?

Key Points to Cover
  • Shebang (e.g., #!/usr/bin/env bash) selects interpreter
  • Executable bit (chmod +x) required to run as ./script.sh
  • Alternatively: run via interpreter directly (bash script.sh)
Evaluation Rubric
Explains shebang purpose40% weight
Mentions execute permission30% weight
Shows interpreter invocation alternative30% weight
Hints
  • 💡env helps locate interpreter on PATH.
Potential Follow-up Questions
  • How to pass arguments?
  • What about CRLF line endings issues?
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