How to change UNIX login shell for network AD accounts for the macOS lab machines

How to change your UNIX login shell from the default assigned shell

NOTE this is only for AD network accounts.  Local and Mobile accounts can use the chsh -s command instead for shell changes.

Step-by-step guide

Open Terminal or establish a SSH session if performing this remotely: 

  1. Check and note your current login shell 

    echo $SHELL
    /bin/bash
  2. To change your shell, create a ~/.bash_profile in the root of your home directory with the following lines or if you already have a .bash_profile append it with the below entries.  This example is for zsh.

    export SHELL=/bin/zsh
    exec zsh

    List of other shell on macOS

    /bin/bash
    /bin/csh
    /bin/ksh
    /bin/sh
    /bin/tcsh
    /bin/zsh
  3. Check and note your new login shell by opening another terminal window or ssh session) and do another "echo $SHELL" this time you should get zsh instead.

    echo $SHELL
    /bin/zsh