.bash_history does not update in Git for Windows (git bash)

Question

I am using Git for Windows (ver. 1.7.8-preview20111206) and even though I have a .bash_history file in my HOME folder, it never automatically gets updated. When I start Git Bash, I can see in the history commands that I manually added to the .bash_history file, but it does not get updated automatically.

I used the shopt -s histappend command to make sure that the history gets saved every time I close the shell, but it does not work.

If I manually use the history -w command, then my file gets updated, but I would want to understand why the shopt command does not work as I understand it should.

Anyone can tell me why is this behavior happening?

Disabled

What are the values of $HISTSIZE, $HISTFILESIZE and $HISTFILE? – Croft

$HISTSIZE is 10000, $HISTFILESIZE is 10000 and $HISTFILE is /h/.bash_history. – Disabled

Answer 1

I put this in my ~/.bash_profile

PROMPT_COMMAND='history -a'

Kurus

To avoid the line ending problem, you can just type echo "PROMT_COMMAND='history -a'" >> ~/.bash_profile in Git bash to add the row to the end of your .bash_profile file (or to create a new one if one doesn't exist). – Leaguer

@Leaguer You missed a 'P' in your command : PROM*P*T_COMMAND=... – Cataplasm

This also works for me on Win10. The above code makes bash append to history file on every command, as per answer in AskUbuntu. – Loftis

This worked for running git's bash in Visual Studio Code, but I had to put it ~/.bashrc not ~/.bash_profile. – Icelander

I prefer option -n instead of -a : ss64.com/bash/history.html – Scanderbeg

Answer 2

Create the following files

~/.bash_profile
~/.bashrc

And put the following line in both of them

PROMPT_COMMAND='history -a'

To do this from the console (Git Bash) itself, use the following commands:

echo "PROMPT_COMMAND='history -a'" >> ~/.bash_profile
echo "PROMPT_COMMAND='history -a'" >> ~/.bashrc

What history -a means

From the history --help command

-a append history lines from this session to the history file

What is PROMPT_COMMAND?

Bash provides an environment variable called PROMPT_COMMAND. The contents of this variable are executed as a regular Bash command just before Bash displays a prompt.

Difference between .bash_profile and .bashrc

.bash_profile is executed for login shells, while .bashrc is executed for interactive non-login shells.

When you login (type username and password) via console, either sitting at the machine, or remotely via ssh: .bash_profile is executed to configure your shell before the initial command prompt.

But, if you’ve already logged into your machine and open a new terminal window (xterm) then .bashrc is executed before the window command prompt. .bashrc is also run when you start a new bash instance by typing /bin/bash in a terminal.

On OS X, Terminal by default runs a login shell every time, so this is a little different to most other systems, but you can configure that in the preferences.

References

• https://www.tldp.org/HOWTO/Bash-Prompt-HOWTO/x264.html
• https://apple.stackexchange.com/questions/51036/what-is-the-difference-between-bash-profile-and-bashrc

Aiden

Thank you for the detailed explanation how it works and why it is so and for information about difference between .bash_profile and .bashrc configuration files. – Reinstate

Best explanation about bash. This cleared a lot of terminal/bash/shell differences, terminologies and details. Thank you. – Beadruby

Answer 3

As it was said here, to save git bash history on Windows you must not close the terminal with X button. Use exit command instead. History of commands will be saved then regardless of configuration mentioned in the accepted answer.

Haldes

that's good to know, but I'm going to have a hard time remembering that. – Disjunct

@Disjunct luckily you no longer have to remember this, because in the newer versions of Git for windows this is not true. Tested with version 2.9.3 on win7 and win10. – Ramulose

@Ramulose not true on my machine. I have git 2.12.2 for windows 8.1 (newest for 04/17), and the only way to save history i am aware of is to type "exit" before clicking x button – Gernhard

Which regrettably also occurs when Windows updates apply and reboot. – Hayfork

You can also press Ctrl+D instead of typing exit, it's much faster and simpler to use. It's even faster than using a Close button! – Chignon

Answer 4

If you're using Git bash in VSCode please see C.M.'s comment above.

This worked for running git's bash in Visual Studio Code, but I had to put it ~/.bashrc not ~/.bash_profile. – C.M. Jul 29 at 14:43

This solved it for me.

Delinquency

Answer 5

There is a more complete answer on Unix Stackexchange, by Pablo R. and LinuxSecurityFreak. Add the following to your ~/.bashrc:

# Avoid duplicates
HISTCONTROL=ignoredups:erasedups
# When the shell exits, append to the history file instead of overwriting it
shopt -s histappend

# After each command, append to the history file and reread it
PROMPT_COMMAND="${PROMPT_COMMAND:+$PROMPT_COMMAND$'\n'}history -a; history -c; history -r"

Please be careful, though:

The problem with this PROMPT_COMMAND solution is that the numbers for each history item changes after each command. For example, if you type history(1) ls (2) rm, then you do !1 to repeat (1), the history number might change and might run the rm command. Chris Kimpton

Cooker

I used the reduced version, PROMPT_COMMAND="${PROMPT_COMMAND:+$PROMPT_COMMAND$'\n'}history -a;" and it worked wonders. I had prompt customisations that didn't bide well with simply using PROMPT_COMMAND="history -a". This was a lifesaver! – Diacid

Answer 6

If you use git bash for windows 8, just put this in your ~/.bash_logout file:

history > .bash_history

Obviously you need a ~/.bash_history file.

Regards.

Hapless

Windows 8.1 and GNU bash, version 3.1.0(1)-release (i686-pc-msys) - works! – Entremets

@CamiloMartin - see my comment above about making sure you've used Unix line endings (I used .bash_profile). – Calamus

@Calamus Thanks for the heads-up! EOLs, those bastards. – Nissa

Not working for me. As @Haldes pointed out above, the issue is that Git bash does not save the history if you close the window with the X in the top right corner. – Leaguer

This answer did not work for me because history includes the command numbers. Adding history -w to the ~/.bash_logout file did work since that writes the history without numbers – Incumbency

Answer 7

For me what worked was going into C:\Users\MY_USER\ and deleting the .bash_profile file.

Ps: I am using windows 10

Imprecate

Answer 8

I am using Windows 10 for me it was a permission problem, my temporary solution was to add Everyone group and give it Full control on ~/.bash_history file.

Dugout

Answer 9

By the way, for those using the Portable version of Git for Windows, there's no need to create .bash_profile or .bashrc. Simply add to C:<path to your Git Portable folder>\etc\bash.bashrc:

PROMPT_COMMAND='history -a'

Neurosis

Answer 10

Found an answer in another post : https://superuser.com/questions/555310/bash-save-history-without-exit

If you want to have an history updated between two terminals.

As a window user I created a file .bash_profile inside my user folder. And then I add the following content : PROMPT_COMMAND='history -a;history -c;history -r'

Clinometer

Answer 11

Just run this in your git bash

echo 'HISTFILE=$HOME/.bash_history' >> $HOME/.bashrc

Zug