false

Additional Notes

false is a shell command used to return an unsuccessful exit status. It always exits with status 1 and produces no output. It is frequently used in shell scripts as a no-op command that signals failure, or in while loops to create infinite loops that must be broken explicitly.

Syntax

false [arguments]

Parameters

• options: Flags that change how false behaves.
• arguments: Values consumed by the shell builtin or script command.
• command: Command line to run, test, wrap, or control.

Common Options

• --help: Show command help when supported.
• --version: Show version information when supported.

Examples

false --help
man false

Practical Notes

Options can vary by distribution and package version. Use man false, false --help, or the package documentation for exact syntax.