Windows PowerShell Read-Host equivalent in Linux
Reads a line of input from the terminal.
PowerShell Read-Host
read -r variable
read -r variable
read -r variable
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "PowerShell Read-Host" is used to read user input. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "read -r variable". Reads a line of input from the terminal. This reference is grouped under PowerShell Equivalents → Core Cmdlets.
Windows → Linux context
What changes when you use this on Linux?
Equivalent task, different tool
Windows PowerShell Read-Host maps to read -r variable for this task. Treat this as a workflow mapping rather than a character-for-character syntax translation.
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 PowerShell vs Bash.
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
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "read -r variable" 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 | 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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