bash: execute command given in commandline and don't exit

Question

how do I specifiy a command on the commmandline of bash which shall be executed once inside the new bash after reading ~/.bashrc -- But all this without letting bash exit after the command is finished?

I'm fiddling around with a "boot-up-configuration" for terminator where some splits should start some applications (vim, mutt, irrsi) after startup. But I still want normal shells in the background (ctrl-z and so on...) so after quitting an application I have the same shell which I had during the eapplications lifetime...

What does not work for me (based on given answers)

 ( bash; vim )              # vim waits for the exit of bash...
 bash -c vim                # bash exits after vims exit...
 bash -c 'vim; exec bash'   # bash is executed _after_ vim... ctrl-z won't work
 echo vim | bash -s         # "Vim: Warning: Input is not from a terminal"     

Manually appending "vim" to a temporary bashrc does not work either. vim starts up correctly, but there is still no background bash present where a ctrl-z would bring me to.

Any suggestions?

Answer 1

(Ab)using .bashrc is the only usable way.¹ Generation is unnecessary, however – just put the command(s) in an environment variable and eval it:

• Put the following at the end of your ~/.bashrc:

  [[ $startup_cmd ]] && {
      declare +x startup_cmd
      eval "$startup_cmd"
  }
  

• Configure Terminator to start this command:

  env startup_cmd='vim' bash
  

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¹ Let's exclude the "use C4 to crack a nut" ones.

Answer 2

bash -c 'vim; exec bash'

The exec bash will replace the current Bash instance with a new one.