Bash

Bash Tool

Execute a single shell command and return stdout+stderr combined.

REQUIRED: command (shell command string) OPTIONAL: timeout (seconds, NO default — always set for installs/builds)

RULES:

• Stateless: each call starts a fresh shell. cd and env vars do NOT persist.
• ALWAYS chain directory changes: cd /path && command
• Set timeout for any command that might take >30s (installs, builds, downloads)
• NEVER run interactive commands (vim, less, top, bare python/node REPL)
• Prefer dedicated tools (grep, find, ls, read) over bash for file operations
• Output truncated to last 200 lines / 5KB; full output saved to temp file if truncated

EXAMPLE:

{"name": "bash", "input": {"command": "ls -la /home/user/project"}}

EXAMPLE with timeout:

{"name": "bash", "input": {"command": "cd /home/user/project && npm install", "timeout": 120}}

When to use

• Use bash: One-off commands, package installs, builds, quick checks
• Use shell-session: Multi-step workflows, repeated commands, stateful sessions
• Use grep/find/ls: File searching, directory listing, pattern matching (faster, respects .gitignore)

Workflow

1. Simple command: Pass the command string directly
2. Directory operations: Chain with && (e.g., cd /path && make)
3. Long-running tasks: ALWAYS set timeout to 120-300 for installs, builds, or downloads
4. Check output: Verify the command succeeded before proceeding