What is MIME type "text/x-sh"?

A MIME type is a string that tells browsers and other tools how to handle a particular kind of file.

text/x-sh is a MIME type for plain text files that contain shell commands. These files run on Unix-like systems using shell interpreters. They let you automate system tasks and run command sequences easily.

Key facts:

Used for automating command execution and managing system routines.
Works with various Unix shells such as the Bourne shell, Bourne Again shell, and others.
Supports server scripts like those running under CGI or FCGI.
Handles configuration and session files in command-line environments.
Appears in specialized tasks like package management in Gentoo and shell testing.

It is common to see it used by files like SH and BASH scripts. Other examples include web server files such as CGI and FCGI. Files for other shell variants appear as CSH, TCSH, or ZSH.

Sometimes, related files used for specific tasks also adopt this MIME type. For instance, configuration or session files like GITIGNORE or Gentoo package scripts like EBUILD and ECLASS may be handled similarly. Other specialized files include BATS, NU, SH-SESSION, or even additions like SH.IN, TMUX, TRIGGER, and ZSH-THEME.

For more details on shell scripting, see Shell Script on Wikipedia.

Associated file extensions

.sh, .bash, .cgi, .csh, .tool, .ksh, .command, .fcgi, .gitignore, .tcsh, .zsh, .ebuild, .bats, .eclass, .nu, .sh-session, .sh.in, .tmux, .trigger, .zsh-theme

Usage Examples

HTTP Header

When serving content with this MIME type, set the Content-Type header:


    Content-Type: text/x-sh

HTML

In HTML, you can specify the MIME type in various elements:


    <a href="file.dat" type="text/x-sh">Download file</a>

Server-side (Node.js)

Setting the Content-Type header in Node.js:


    const http = require('http');
    
    http.createServer((req, res) => {
      res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'text/x-sh');
      res.end('Content here');
    }).listen(3000);

Associated file extensions

.sh, .bash, .cgi, .csh, .tool, .ksh, .command, .fcgi, .gitignore, .tcsh, .zsh, .ebuild, .bats, .eclass, .nu, .sh-session, .sh.in, .tmux, .trigger, .zsh-theme

FAQ

What is a MIME type?

A MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extensions) type is a standard that indicates the nature and format of a document, file, or assortment of bytes. MIME types are defined and standardized in IETF's RFC 6838.

MIME types are important because they help browsers and servers understand how to process a file. When a browser receives a file from a server, it uses the MIME type to determine how to display or handle the content, whether it's an image to display, a PDF to open in a viewer, or a video to play.

MIME types consist of a type and a subtype, separated by a slash (e.g., text/html, image/jpeg, application/pdf). Some MIME types also include optional parameters.

How do I find the MIME type for a file?

You can check the file extension or use a file identification tool such as file --mime-type on the command line. Many programming languages also provide libraries to detect MIME types.

Why are multiple MIME types listed for one extension?

Different applications and historical conventions may use alternative MIME identifiers for the same kind of file. Showing them all helps ensure compatibility across systems.