input into bash script(reading path)

dalicros · 05-29-2007, 06:17 AM

hi,
I have got problem with one of mine scripts.
In this script I need to get the path to file frome user. I simply use read -p "File : " PATH_TO_FILE, this works fine, until the path is too long, then the read returns an error. Any ideas how to fix this?

I also have another problem with this, is there any way how to be able to use auto-adding the file name during read?

Thanks for any help.

wjevans_7d1@yahoo.co · 05-29-2007, 08:23 AM

It's always good to be specific when you describe a problem.

Please post (as a reply in this thread) a short script that demonstrates the problem, the path that you enter, and the exact error message you get.

For example, I tried this script:

Code:

#!/bin/sh

read -p "File: " PATH_TO_FILE
echo $PATH_TO_FILE

and I entered this path (300 characters):

Code:

/000000010/000000020/000000030/000000040/000000050/000000060/000000070/000000080/000000090/000000100/000000110/000000120/000000130/000000140/000000150/000000160/000000170/000000180/000000190/000000200/000000210/000000220/000000230/000000240/000000250/000000260/000000270/000000280/000000290/000000300

and got no error at all. It echoed the path correctly.

A good thing to do is to use the script command to record all input and output. Then take the file typescript and post it as code (going to advanced posting mode and using the # button), like this:

Code:

wally:~$ script
Script started, file is typescript
wally:~$ cat tuesday.sh
#!/bin/sh

read -p "File: " PATH_TO_FILE
echo $PATH_TO_FILE

wally:~$ tuesday.sh
File: /000000010/000000020/000000030/000000040/000000050/000000060/000000070/000000080/000000090/000000100/000000110/000000120/000000130/000000140/000000150/000000160/000000170/000000180/000000190/000000200/000000210/000000220/000000230/000000240/000000250/000000260/000000270/000000280/000000290/000000300
/000000010/000000020/000000030/000000040/000000050/000000060/000000070/000000080/000000090/000000100/000000110/000000120/000000130/000000140/000000150/000000160/000000170/000000180/000000190/000000200/000000210/000000220/000000230/000000240/000000250/000000260/000000270/000000280/000000290/000000300
wally:~$ exit
Script done, file is typescript

Once we see this, we can get a better handle on your problem.

Oh. And. What do you mean by auto-adding, and can you give an example of what that might be like?

dalicros · 05-29-2007, 09:47 AM

ooops

it seems, the problem was not in read ...
the path got by read is in my script passed to dcfldd like bellow :

read -p "Image file (ex. WinXP_Lin.img): [default.img] " SOURCE_FILE;
if [ ${#SOURCE_FILE} -eq 0 ]
then
SOURCE_FILE="default.img"
fi
dcfldd if=/storage/${SOURCE_FILE} of=/dev/hda bs=512 sizeprobe=if

the block size was set to 8192 and this caused the problem, when /storage was NFS type.

auto-adding is meant (I was not sure how to translate it into english

) as you write for example 3 letters from the name of file and then press tab key and the file name is filled. Any idea how to make this in read?

Thanks for help.

wjevans_7d1@yahoo.co · 05-30-2007, 06:54 PM

What you mean by auto-adding we refer to as "filename completion". Use the -e switch, like this:

Code:

#!/bin/sh

read -e -p "Enter the file name: " filename
echo I have read "$filename"

Then you can use tabs for filename completion in the normal manner.

Hope this helps.