Windows while (goto loop) equivalent in Linux
Repeatedly executes commands as long as a condition remains true.
while (goto loop)
while [ condition ]; do ... done
while [ condition ]; do ... done
while [ condition ]; do ... done
Overview
What this command does
On Windows, "while (goto loop)" is used to loop while a condition is true. On Linux, the closest practical mapping shown here is "while [ condition ]; do ... done". Repeatedly executes commands as long as a condition remains true. 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 while 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 while a condition is true
Repeatedly executes commands as long as a condition remains true.
while true; do
Infinite loop
while read line; do
Read file line by line
break
Exit the loop
Ready to run
Copyable Linux commands
Review paths, device names, package names and permissions before running any command.
while read line; do
echo "Line: $line"
done < input.txt
while ! ping -c 1 google.com; do
echo "Waiting for network..."
sleep 5
done
Walkthrough
Examples with explanations
# Read file line by line:
while read line; do
echo "Line: $line"
done < input.txt
# Retry until success:
while ! ping -c 1 google.com; do
echo "Waiting for network..."
sleep 5
doneReference
Common options and variations
| Command or option | Use |
|---|---|
while true; do | Infinite loop |
while read line; do | Read file line by line |
break | Exit the loop |
continue | Skip to next iteration |
Distro differences
Debian/Ubuntu vs Fedora vs Arch
Debian/Ubuntu, Fedora and Arch all use "while [ condition ]; 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 | while [ condition ]; do ... done |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Fedora | same command | while [ condition ]; do ... done |
Same command on this distribution. |
| Arch | same command | while [ condition ]; do ... done |
Same command on this distribution. |
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