diff --git a/home_external/.bash_aliases b/home_external/.bash_aliases
index 1503122..97b906c 100644
--- a/home_external/.bash_aliases
+++ b/home_external/.bash_aliases
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+
 if [ "$TERM" == 'xterm-kitty' ]; then
    alias ssh='kitty +kitten ssh'
    alias diff='kitty +kitten diff'
@@ -29,6 +31,21 @@ alias fssizes='df -kh --output=size,used,avail,pcent,target | sort -hr'
 alias dirsizes='du -kh --apparent-size --max-depth=1 | sort -hr'
 
 
+updateFlatpak() {
+   noconfirm=
+   if [[ $1 == "-y" ]]; then
+      noconfirm="--assumeyes";
+   fi
+   executeAndNotify "doUpdateFlatpak $noconfirm" "flatpaks updated" "flatpak update failed";
+}
+
+
+doUpdateFlatpak() {
+   flatpak update $1;
+   flatpak remove --unused $1
+}
+
+
 # executes command and notifies upon failure
 execute() {
    dir="$(pwd)";
diff --git a/home_external/.bashrc b/home_external/.bashrc
index 6875a62..9b5b727 100644
--- a/home_external/.bashrc
+++ b/home_external/.bashrc
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 # see /usr/share/doc/bash/examples/startup-files (in the package bash-doc)
 # for examples
 
+set -o pipefail
+# set -u
+
 # If not running interactively, don't do anything
 if [[ $- != *i* ]]; then
    return
@@ -188,7 +191,7 @@ ex ()
       *.tar.bz2)   tar xjf $1   ;;
       *.tar.gz)    tar xzf $1   ;;
       *.bz2)       bunzip2 $1   ;;
-      *.rar)       unrar x $1     ;;
+      *.rar)       unrar x $1   ;;
       *.gz)        gunzip $1    ;;
       *.tar)       tar xf $1    ;;
       *.tbz2)      tar xjf $1   ;;