How to exit BASH with a BASH script

bert07 · 09-02-2009, 06:50 PM

I have a kind of stupid question and/or problem.

When I use the DOS terminal, I close the terminal window just by typing:

Code:

$ x
followed by a return.

This worked because I had a (very) small batch file called "x.bat":

Code:

@ECHO OFF
EXIT

Now I try to write a simular script "x" for BASH, but it does not seem to work:

Code:

#! /bin/bash
exit

The script is found, but it just does not do anything. (When I change the script to "echo exit", it echo's, so the PATH is okay.)

As you might have guessed: I am complete new in shell scripting.

Maybe I need a script that sends the CTRL-SHIFT-Q keys to BASH?

Can someone enlighten me?

theNbomr · 09-02-2009, 07:00 PM

Things that work in DOS batch scripts don't always work the same in bash. In this case, it fails because using a shell script causes a child shell process to be launched. When the child shell invokes 'exit', it simply exits itself, leaving the parent process intact.
To accomplish your objective, you could make an alias.

Code:

alias x='exit'

Or, you could use the existing 'Ctrl-D', that already serves your purpose as a side effect of its actual purpose.
--- rod.

bert07 · 09-02-2009, 07:26 PM

CTRL-D does just fine.
Thanks. I didn't know that.

But pray tell me about the alias: how do I make it and in which file?

bert07 · 09-02-2009, 08:12 PM

Okay.
I found it:

/etc/bash.bashrc

Thanks again.

theNbomr · 09-03-2009, 02:19 AM

Like most bash configurations, you can simply type them at the commandline, and they will hold for the life of that shell, and generally any child shells will inherit the configuration. Using .bashrc in your $HOME directory will cause all new shells to inherit the changes. You can cause any existing shell instances to pick up your new settings by sourcing the bash startup script:

Code:

source ~/.bashrc

Finally, you can put the configuration changes in /etc/bashrc, and they will be available to all users.
--- rod