Well here goes. I can spell Linux most ofthe time.. I have tried to write a script that would check for the /mnt/floppy directory.

I have tried quite a number of ways to write the "If"

something like if /mnt/floppy then .... or if "/mnt/floppy"
just get error messages from bash.

Also this fails also
#!/bin/bash
a=3
exit 0

Bash reports no command 3.

Have looked in many script files and see a great many assignments such as a=3 and then $a becomes a pointer.

I am using the latest Mandrake 8.2 I think..

Thanks Gene

you need to read up a bit more on scripting. the IF structure is differnt in script than c etc... you have to use the test program to use an if properly

if [ -d /mnt/floppy ]

is probably what you want to do. the [ ] is the same as the test command:

if test -d /mnt/floppy

will return true if /mnt/floppy is a directory. I don't see what that will accomplish tho, as /mnt/floppy will always exist wether the floppy drive is mounted or not.

i'd recommend a general basic linux script book., they come in so useful

as for a=3, i'd assume you have rogue spaces in it. a= 3?

Thanks for your kind help... looking for a file was just a test thing not unlike the a=3. I kinda feel that if I can't master basic script writing then I might be in great trouble trying to get a server on line.

Yes I will go for a good script book this week-end.

I have so many questions that it is hard to find a good place to start.

This is the script I wound up with after parsing things that did work.

#!/bin/bash
a=3
exit 0

The bash returne unknown command 3

The other major hurdle is automount! Or do I really need this feature. I am assuming I can write a script that I can run each time I bring the machine up that would mount the floppy and cd.

I have also read that if I wanted I could place working scripts in the /bin/ folder???? that would run each time the machine booted.

Any way most kind of you to assist this old man with you help.

Gene

The bash script that assignes 3 to a should work. Try the command:
Where test.sh is the name of your simple bash script. Post the output.

I never use automount.

Scripts that execute on boot should be started from the /etc/rc.d directory.