What is the definition of global variables in the context of BASH?

In the context of BASH, global variables are defined as variables that can be accessed by child processes. When a variable is exported in BASH using the export command, it becomes part of the environment and is available not just in the current shell session but also in any subprocesses spawned from that shell. This allows for the sharing of state and information between different processes, which is essential for various scripting tasks and applications.

The ability for child processes to access these variables enables smoother communication and data handling in scripts, making global variables a key aspect in shell scripting and environment management. This characteristic is fundamental for tasks where subprocesses need to know specific configurations or values defined in the parent shell, enhancing the versatility and functionality of scripting in a Linux environment.