Windows for equivalent in Linux
Repeats a block of commands for each item in a list, range, or set of files.
for
for ... in ...; do ... done
for ... in ...; do ... done
for ... in ...; do ... done
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "for" is used to loop over a list or range. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "for ... in ...; do ... done". Repeats a block of commands for each item in a list, range, or set of files. This reference is grouped under Terminal & Shell Scripting → Terminal.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Same name, different environment
The basic command name for is familiar on both platforms, but Linux path rules, quoting, permissions and available options can still change the result.
Portable across the compared distros
The Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch rows use the same command in this mapping. Package availability or defaults can still vary, so check the installed tool version when an option behaves differently.
For the broader concept behind this mapping, read Linux command-line basics.
Practical tasks
Common use cases
Loop over a list or range
Repeats a block of commands for each item in a list, range, or set of files.
for i in {1..10}
Loop from 1 to 10
for f in *.txt
Loop over all .txt files
for i in $(cat list.txt)
Loop over lines in a file
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
for file in *.log; do
echo "Processing: $file"
gzip "$file"
done
for i in {1..5}; do
echo "Step $i"
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Windows: for %i in (*.txt) do echo %i
for file in *.log; do
echo "Processing: $file"
gzip "$file"
done
# Numeric range:
for i in {1..5}; do
echo "Step $i"
doneReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
for i in {1..10} | Loop from 1 to 10 |
for f in *.txt | Loop over all .txt files |
for i in $(cat list.txt) | Loop over lines in a file |
for ((i=0; i<10; i++)) | C-style numeric loop |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "for ... in ...; do ... done" for this mapping. The command syntax shown here is portable across the three rows, although installed versions and system defaults can still vary.
| Distribution | Package manager / base | Equivalent command | Difference to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Debian/Ubuntu | same command | for ... in ...; do ... done |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | for ... in ...; do ... done |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | for ... in ...; do ... done |
Same command on this distribution. |
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