>

Test Shell Scripts With Bats

Write readable bash test cases with assertions and run them from the CLI.

LinuxlintingshellscriptingLow risk
Run bats tests/ to execute every .bats test file in a directory.

01Command

Command
$ bats tests/

02What it does

Bats (Bash Automated Testing System) provides a small DSL for testing shell code: setup and teardown hooks, run to capture output and status, and assertions. It outputs TAP and integrates with CI, bringing test discipline to shell projects.

03Risk

RiskLow risk
Requirementssudo apt install bats
!Warning: Tests run with the invoking user's privileges and can execute arbitrary commands; treat test files as code to review.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

  • Bats documentation
    Official project · vendor-doc · 2026-09-20
    Evidence: Debian packages Bats, a TAP-compliant testing framework for Bash.
  • Debian package: bats
    Debian · vendor-doc · 2026-09-20
    Evidence: Debian packages Bats, a TAP-compliant testing framework for Bash.

Last verified: 2026-09-22 · Category: Developer