Windows
Linux
PowerShell Equivalents
Core Cmdlets
Windows PowerShell Read-Host equivalent in Linux
Reads a line of input from the terminal.
Windows
→
PowerShell Read-Host
Linux equivalents
read -r variable
read -r variable
read -r variable
Overview
What this command does
Reads a line of input from the terminal.
Migration tip: Check the distro-specific rows before copying; package names and service names can differ even when the tool name is similar.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Read user input
Reads a line of input from the terminal.
read -r variable
Read user input
read --help
Show command help when supported
man read
Open the manual page when installed
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
read -r variable
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows equivalent: PowerShell Read-Host
read -r variableReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
read -r variable | Read user input |
read --help | Show command help when supported |
man read | Open the manual page when installed |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
The equivalent is shown for Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch. Some rows use a different package manager or helper tool where Linux distributions commonly diverge.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | read -r variable |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | read -r variable |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | read -r variable |
Same command on this distribution. |
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