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Question 63

SIMULATION -

Which Bash environment variable defines in which file the user history is stored when exiting a Bash process? (Specify ONLY the variable name.)

    Correct Answer:

    The Bash environment variable that defines in which file the user history is stored when exiting a Bash process is HISTFILE. This variable specifies the name and location of the file where Bash writes the command history upon exiting a session. By default, this file is typically set to ~/.bash_history in the user's home directory, but it can be customized by setting HISTFILE to a different file path in the Bash configuration files, such as .bashrc or .bash_profile.

Discussion
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The HISTFILE environment variable defines the name of the file where Bash stores the command history. When a Bash session exits, the history of commands entered during that session is saved to the file specified by HISTFILE. Here's a breakdown of how it works: Setting HISTFILE: You can customize the location and name of your history file by setting the HISTFILE variable in your Bash configuration (e.g., .bashrc or .bash_profile). For example: export HISTFILE=~/.bash_history This would set the history file to the default location of .bash_history in your home directory. Saving History: By default, Bash appends the command history to the HISTFILE when the session ends. You can also manually save the history at any time using the history -a command. Loading History: When a new Bash session starts, it reads the command history from the file specified by HISTFILE. This allows you to easily access and reuse previously entered commands.