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On 08/24/2012 11:36 AM, Hans Hagen wrote:
recently i had to configure a debian machine (normally i use opensuse) and found out that some scripts didn't work because instead of bash something dash (b->d) was used ... maybe that's the issue
The "safest" thing to do for scripts is to stick to /bin/sh - the POSIX shell. Bash is a good shell but not the default shell on many *nix, BSD and *nux systems. On BSD, it has to be installed as an optional package. /bin/sh may not always be the default but I've yet to find a system where it isn't present in the default install. /bin/sh is a superset of the original Unix Bourne shell and implements most features of ksh - the Korn shell. Relying on the features of any other shell (bash, dash, csh, zsh &c.) may get some extra functionality but breaks portability. Bash will run scripts written for /bin/sh without modification but the reverse is not always true. Just an FYI from someone who's been using Unix, derivatives and work-alikes since Bell Labs V7 :) -- Bill Meahan Westland, Michigan USA