cd keeps snapping back to current directory when called from bash script

ghrellin · 08-28-2005, 12:29 PM

Here's the script:

Code:

#! /bin/bash -x

if [ -n $1 ]; then
        cd /home/gabe/$1/ && ls
else
         echo "Blah!"
fi

And here's what happens:

Code:

gabe @ tux ~ $ pwd
/home/gabe

gabe @ tux ~ $ ls amarok-svn/
MakeVars.in     README           config.h         configure.in      stamp-h1
Makefile        acinclude.m4     config.h.in      configure.in.bot  subdirs
Makefile.am     aclocal.m4       config.log       configure.in.in
Makefile.am.in  admin/           config.status*   doc/
Makefile.cvs    amarok/          configure*       libtool*
Makefile.in     autom4te.cache/  configure.files  stamp-h.in

gabe @ tux ~ $ script amarok-svn
+ '[' -n amarok-svn/ ']'
+ cd /home/gabe/amarok-svn/
+ ls
MakeVars.in     README          config.h         configure.in      stamp-h1
Makefile        acinclude.m4    config.h.in      configure.in.bot  subdirs
Makefile.am     aclocal.m4      config.log       configure.in.in
Makefile.am.in  admin           config.status    doc
Makefile.cvs    amarok          configure        libtool
Makefile.in     autom4te.cache  configure.files  stamp-h.in

gabe @ tux ~ $ pwd
/home/gabe

So the directory exists, it tells me that it knows it exists, AND it will cd to it in the script and tell me the contents. Yet it always snaps back to the directory it's in when I start the script.

david_ross · 08-28-2005, 12:32 PM

I'm not sure I see a problem - what are you wanting to happen?

ghrellin · 08-28-2005, 12:36 PM

Thanks for the quick reply. And in answer to your question, I want it to stay in the directory I pass to the script.

david_ross · 08-28-2005, 12:40 PM

In that case you will need to source the commands into your current shell and not start a new one. Just run the script like:
. script amarok-svn
or:
source script amarok-svn

dub.wav · 08-28-2005, 12:46 PM

Scripts are run in a subshell. Only the subshell changes directory.
It will work if you source the script: '. script'

I don't understand what you need this for, but you can create an alias in your .bashrc, like so: alias mycd='. script'

ghrellin · 08-28-2005, 12:50 PM

Thanks for the tip. I decided to just make it a function in my .bashrc instead, since I use it a lot.