{"version":"2.1.285","anchor":"the-bash-tool-description-was-rewritten","canonical_anchor":"the-bash-tool-description-was-rewritten","heading":"Bash tool instructions reworded on timeouts and background commands","tier":"notice","area":"Bash Tool","url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.285\/e\/the-bash-tool-description-was-rewritten","release_url":"https:\/\/changelogs.core-directive.com\/v\/2.1.285","markdown":"### Bash tool instructions reworded on timeouts and background commands\n\nClaude's Bash tool instructions now tie the 10-minute limit to foreground commands and describe background commands as running across turns\n\n**What**\n\nThe Bash tool is how Claude runs commands in your terminal. The instructions Claude receives for it were rewritten in this release. The change appears in the main command-line and SDK prompts, and in the command-security-review and command-team-onboarding prompts.\n\n- The timeout line now says the limit of 600000ms (10 minutes) is for a foreground command, one Claude waits on. The default is still 120000ms (2 minutes).\n\n- The `run_in_background` option is now explained as running the command detached: \"it keeps running across turns and re-invokes you when it exits\". One version adds \"No `&` needed.\"\n\n- The earlier wording is kept in one form: use it only if you don't need the result immediately and are OK being notified when the command completes later.\n\nIn the capture taken under this release, the longest Bash description is 10,061 characters.\n\n**Why**\n\nThese are Claude's own instructions, so the wording shapes how it uses background commands. Claude is now told plainly that a background command keeps running after its turn ends and that it will be brought back when the command finishes, and that it should not add `&` itself.\n\n- Area: Bash Tool\n- Names: `run_in_background`\n- Tier: You'll notice\n- Useful: 2\/5\n- Signal: 1\/5"}