Questions tagged [arguments]
An argument is usually defined as the actual value passed to a function, procedure, or command line program.
2
votes
1answer
83 views
Does the system-wide limit on argument count apply in shell functions?
The other question asks about the limit on building up commands by find's -exec ... {} +. Here I'd like to know how those limits compare to shells' inner limits. Do they mimic system limits or are ...
1
vote
2answers
92 views
How does the find command know how many arguments to feed with “-exec … {} +”?
In a command like this:
find /data ! -type d -exec rm -f {} +
the + is for batch execution of rm -f. find should batch as many arguments as possible. But how does it know the limit?
1
vote
4answers
112 views
Argument list too long error with makefile
In a makefile, I have
@echo "$(IGNORE_DIRS) $(CLEAN_FILES) $(CLEAN_DIRS) $(REALCLEAN_FILES)" | tr ' ' '\n' >> $@
The problem is that $(CLEAN_FILES) is quite large, so when I run make, I get
...
1
vote
1answer
37 views
Partially use the -y argument when installing things in Debian in one line
I have a long apt-get install sequence and for most software packages I need the -y argument.
I could do the following in two lines:
apt-get upgrade unattended-upgrades sshguard curl wget git ...
0
votes
1answer
50 views
How can I provide an array as a file argument to a script, so that each element is like a line in a file?
Suppose a bash script expects an argument to be a file. But we have a bash array, and would like to provide the array in some way as an argument to the script, as if there were a file whose lines are ...
4
votes
1answer
123 views
First argument passed to wrapper script is ignored
So I've got the following script:
#!/bin/bash
echo '-------------------------'
echo $0
echo $1
echo $@
echo '-------------------------'
exec su -- someuser -c "/tmp/elasticsearch-6.4.2/bin/...
3
votes
1answer
122 views
does bash `shift` command change argument count `$#`
When I use the bash shift command, does that change the argument count in $#?
Note from author: When I had this question I did not find it (yet) on this community. Therefore I simply tried it and ...
0
votes
2answers
86 views
How to pass multiple parameters to su <USER> -c “command”
I want to execute composer as non root user. So I renamed main composer executable file to composer-call and then create another executable file called composer.
#composer.sh
su nginx -c "composer-...
0
votes
0answers
44 views
xargs argument in the middle of command [duplicate]
Why is this command not working?
echo 'foo
bar' | xargs -I % -L 1 echo yeah % yeah
It produces the following output:
yeah % yeah foo
yeah % yeah bar
While I expected the following output:
yeah ...
0
votes
1answer
56 views
How to pass argv arguments to a C program using a file or python script in linux?
I used to be able to pass input to C program by first writing a python script and using pipe to send it to the C program as an input
or write the output of python script to a file and just doing r &...
0
votes
1answer
28 views
How to detach-sign a file with a specific private key? || Why this fails?
I have a .tar.xz file which I would like to detach-sign using my gpg private key.
The problem is, I have multiple of private keys imported to my keyring and need to choose, which one to use.
...
0
votes
3answers
39 views
How to parse arguments with space inside bash function
In bash I am calling function:
myFunction "1 2"
myFunction()
{
echo "$1"
echo "$2"
}
this prints me "1 2" and empty row. How I can parse arguments so it will print on one row 1 and ...
0
votes
0answers
19 views
usage of arguments for shortcuts for grep when backslash is used
I would like to make a shortcut for grepping over c++ files and colouring everything nicely. Based on this reply my command would actually look like:
grep --color=auto -rn "$(printf %q 'Pipeline \')"...
1
vote
1answer
35 views
Optional commands for bash script
I have a Bash script that sets various environment variables and runs a program. I want one of those variables to change if I run the command with an argument debug.
I know 100% how to do this in Lua ...
2
votes
1answer
27 views
Escape keywords with tmux send
Using tmux to send commands along from one terminal to another, I realize that
$ tmux send -t mySession "text" ENTER
correctly sends text, but
$ tmux send -t mySession "up" ENTER
sends text again, ...
1
vote
1answer
50 views
Using the 'a' and 'c' options with the 'dash' command in Unix [closed]
What do the options 'a' and 'c' do when there are used with the command 'dash'? I was unable to understand what that command actually does! I have tried reading the man page but didn't exactly ...
1
vote
4answers
60 views
Pass function argument to defined variable
How can I "inject" a function argument to a defined variable like in this example?
mood="i am $1 happy"
happy ()
{
echo "$mood"
}
happy "very"
Current output:
i am happy
Desired output:
i ...
1
vote
1answer
46 views
Why does my script not take command arguments?
I have a script:
#!/bin/sh
function usage() {
cat << EOF >&2
Usage: $0 [-h] [-rs <start_num>] [-re <end_num>]
-h: help: displays list of options for command $0
-rs<...
2
votes
1answer
68 views
Moving random files using shuf and mv - Argument list too long
I have a directory containing nearly 250K files, which are lots of files, and I want to move x random files to another directory.
I searched and I got the solution of using the shuf and mv commands ...
0
votes
1answer
29 views
How to handle options when opening a file passed as argument? [closed]
I am trying to open a file through a script; as long as I pass the file as the first argument there are no problems; for instance:
$ cat textExample.txt
Much I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear ...
2
votes
1answer
31 views
Generating quoted command arguments
I'm working with a HTTP API that demands a very particular set of signed headers + JSON body. And I really want to cURL it for debugging and sanity in general.
So, I've written a small script that, ...
0
votes
4answers
82 views
Creating n variables in Bash without assigning them one by one?
How do I create n variables in shell scripts without explicitly assigning them? What I mean is something like a loop that creates var1, var2, var3,...,varx, where x is a variable I set earlier, ...
0
votes
2answers
60 views
capture output from java
I am trying to do that :
#!/bin/bash
set out=$(java -jar -Xmx1024m myJava.jar '$1' '$2' '$3' '$4')
echo "$out"
python myPython.py $out
but with no success... I tried with and without quote (because ...
0
votes
2answers
31 views
Keeping quotes passed to a perl wrapper script
I'm writing a small perl wrapper to setup environment variables, etc., then invoke a command by the same name.
./foo.pl -a one -b two -c "1 2 3" -d done
When I output @ARGV, the "" around 1 2 3 have ...
0
votes
2answers
32 views
Bash : Give builded array to function as a list of argument?
I have this issue with borgbackup, but because the reaction is the same, I will use rsync in my example.
I want to build an array of arguments by adding a prefix to each, and then give that array to ...
-5
votes
2answers
78 views
Signal the end of option arguments: double dashes `--` vs single dash `-`? [duplicate]
I notice in https://unix.stackexchange.com/a/459007/674, that single dash - is used to signal the end of option arguments.
Is it correct that double dashes -- can also signal the end of option ...
1
vote
1answer
29 views
ffmpeg truncates paths on output when there are dots involved when run on bash
If I have a path with dots in the path, for instance:
/home/user/Documents/hello/test.testing_23-24.123/test.testing_23-24.124
ffmpeg can locate the file if you pass the file's path as an argument ...
28
votes
2answers
2k views
Why is `sort < “$f1” ` preferred over `sort — “$f1”`, and why is this preferred over `sort “$f1”`?
From https://unix.stackexchange.com/a/458074/674
Remember to use -- when passing arbitrary arguments to commands (or use redirections where possible). So sort -- "$f1" or better sort < "$f1" ...
4
votes
3answers
682 views
unshift args after calling shift 1
I have this scenario
first_arg="$1";
if foo; then
shift 1;
node foo.js "$@"
elif bar; then
shift 1;
node bar.js "$@"
elif baz; then
shift 1;
node baz.js "$@"
else
node ...
8
votes
3answers
577 views
Shell: Using function with parameters in if
I'm trying to execute the code below but when I try to use my function in the if statement I get the -bash: [: too many arguments error.
Why is it happening?
Thank you in advance!
notContainsElement ...
2
votes
1answer
53 views
Detect optional function argument (array)
Consider this function:
function add_one(in_ar, each) {
for (each in in_ar) {
in_ar[each]++
}
}
I would like to modify it such that if a second array is provided, it would be
used instead ...
0
votes
2answers
76 views
find inside sh function
I try to put find inside function and catch an argument passed to this function with the following minimal work example:
function DO
{
ls $(find . -type f -name "$@" -exec grep -IHl "TODO" {} \;)
...
-1
votes
2answers
555 views
map array of arguments and then convert to string
Say I have these bash functions in a script:
foo(){
my_args_array=("$@")
export my_args="${my_args_array[@]}"
bar $my_args
}
bar(){
echo "number of args: $#";
}
foo a b 'c d e'
if I run ...
5
votes
4answers
517 views
Pass arguments for use in a grandchild process
I have a list of arguments and three processes:
bash_script -> child -> grandchild
The list of arguments is aimed at the grandchild. I can modify all three processes. The grandfather script ...
3
votes
1answer
60 views
Executing `sh -c` script through SSH (passing arguments safely and sanely)
I suddenly realized I don't know how to execute things over SSH.
I tried to do
$ ssh user@server sh -c 'echo "hello"'
but it outputs nothing, or rather, it outputs an empty line. If the command ...
1
vote
4answers
121 views
How I can use 'grep' command to grab some value from the arguments?
Actually, I am doing some assignment by follow:
1: Write a program called valid that prints "yes" if its argument is a valid shell variable name and "no" otherwise:
What I am doing is I want to ...
0
votes
2answers
42 views
Correct way of building variable length argument line to external command in bash
I need to use "find" command to find several different sets of files in my Bash function, depending on my script input.
So, I have thing like:
DAYS=30
case $1 in
A1) ARGLINE="-name 'FOO*.xml' -or -...
0
votes
1answer
38 views
Turn lines in file into list of input [duplicate]
The command i want to execute:
tool <input> [<input> ...] <output>
I have the input list in a file, separated by newline.
I want to put that file's content into the input field. ...
0
votes
1answer
38 views
the position of parameter of command
I think the position of parameter of any command is not fixed.
For example, cp -r ./abc ./def and cp ./abc ./def -r are the same, grep -rnH hello . and grep hello . -rnH are the same...
However, ...
1
vote
1answer
422 views
Specify command with quoted arguments in sudoers?
The General Case
I'm trying to enable a user to run a sudo command (with arguments) without a password. I can get the NOPASSWD directive to work, but only when the arguments don't contain quotation ...
0
votes
1answer
636 views
how to properly parse shell script flags and arguments using getopts
I'm new to using this :
for example ./imgSorter.sh -d directory -f format
the scripts' content is :
#!/bin/bash
while getopts ":d:f:" opt; do
case $opt in
d)
echo "-d was triggered with ...
-1
votes
2answers
138 views
Can you make the `dd` command safe?
We all have (or know someone who has) unintentionally misused the destroy-disk (dd) command. What ways exist (if any) to change the command in the following or a similar way: If /dev/sda is given as ...
1
vote
1answer
43 views
function and pass arguments
So this is my first function:
#!/bin/bash
lets_print () {
echo hello $1
}
lets_print Earth
lets_print Mars
ready to show result
user@bash$ ./demo.sh
Hello Earth
Hello Mars
And this is my ...
2
votes
1answer
55 views
bash function arguments strange behaviour
I have the following bash function:
lscf() {
while getopts f:d: opt ; do
case $opt in
f) file="$OPTARG" ;;
d) days="$OPTARG" ;;
esac
done
echo file is $file
echo days is $...
0
votes
1answer
44 views
Empty test handling
Am learning bash and it's confusing how (why) this line of code if [$1 = ]; then works. Can someone please explain.
From bash tuturial here under File re-namer (6th block)
# a quick check to see if ...
0
votes
1answer
130 views
List of arguments in only one variable in bash
There is an input argument with a list of files (files with wildcards or folders) like this one:
list="file1 dir1 **.data **.source"
Now each element of this list must be prefixed with --filter=+, ...
0
votes
1answer
245 views
echo huge text giving arument list too long error [duplicate]
Struggling with outputting huge text (around 500 KB) to a file on linux. Text contains spaces, special characters and other.... Getting error /bin/sh : argument list too long
#!/bin/bash
txt="---huge ...
-1
votes
1answer
472 views
Reading multiple arguments for a shell script from file
I have a shell script that takes three arguments, which need to come from a single line of a text file.
Example text file:
1 1 2300000
1 2300001 5300000
1 5300001 7100000
1 7100001 ...
0
votes
1answer
37 views
Make sed work through 2 or more lines (all lines in this case) instead just one [duplicate]
I use Ubuntu 16.04 with Bash and I'm ought to enable http2 for a particular website I have on an Nginx environment.
Natively, the utility sed does its text-processing on the first instance in the ...
1
vote
4answers
3k views
How to pass in multiple arguments to execute with .sh script
I have a list.txt file including a list of log file.
For example
server_log1
server_log2
........
server_log50
I have another shell script used to download these logs. It worked ...
