[SOLVED] LFS "Setting up the environment" problem

Berend58 · 09-13-2009, 03:07 AM

Hello,

This is my first post here. I call my self a newby and i am very interested in linux. Before i have installed succesfully Gentoo, which was a nice thing to do and i learned a lot from it. Now there is the next step; installing LFS. By the way: my english is not so good.
My host system is Ubuntu 9.04.
I'am setting up the environment (chapter 4.4, LFS_Book) and got a problem with cat > ~/.bash_profile << "EOF"
After typing that command I get no output in the shell. I wonder if it is a problem with the .bash_profile or with the cat command.

EricTRA · 09-13-2009, 03:15 AM

Hello and welcome to LQ,

There's no problem whatsoever with neither the cat command nor with the .bash_profile file. The command you issue at the console just adds the following line that holds exec to the .bash_profile file. It's a faster way then editing .bash_profile with an editor like vi, nano or others.

The command cat in this use doesn't produce any output. To check if everything went well just do

Code:

cat .bash_profile

when in the home directory of user lfs and it will show you the line as needed

Code:

exec env -i HOME=$HOME TERM=$TERM PS1='\u:\w\$ ' /bin/bash

Kind regards,

Eric

David the H. · 09-13-2009, 03:44 AM

It looks like the beginning of a standard here document to me. There should be another corresponding "EOF" line later down that ends the block of text to be copied to the file.

EricTRA · 09-13-2009, 03:48 AM

As a matter of fact there is, it's just that the OP didn't post the complete command.

The complete command from the LFS book is:

Code:

cat > ~/.bash_profile << "EOF"
exec env -i HOME=$HOME TERM=$TERM PS1='\u:\w\$ ' /bin/bash
EOF

Kind regards,

Eric

Berend58 · 09-13-2009, 04:41 AM

Oke, thanks for your help.
When typing cat .bash_profile, I still get no output.

EricTRA · 09-13-2009, 04:47 AM

Are you sure you're in the home directory of the lfs user when executing the command? You can also try:

Code:

cat /home/lfs/.bash_profile

.

If the command from the LFS book was executed correctly then you should have the output as mentioned.

Check also if the file mentioned above exists

Code:

ls -al /home/lfs

.

Since you didn't put the complete command in your original post it might also be that you didn't execute the complete command. In order to try it again if the .bash_profile doesn't exist under /home/lfs, copy the entire command from my second post (the three lines) and paste them when in the /home/lfs directory.

Kind regards,

Eric

Berend58 · 09-13-2009, 05:04 AM

The command cat .bash_profile gives no output.
Command: ls -al /home/lfs, gives this output, which I think means that the file exists:

Code:

totaal 12
drwxr-xr-x 2 lfs  lfs  4096 2009-09-13 09:08 .
drwxr-xr-x 4 root root 4096 2009-09-13 07:41 ..
-rw------- 1 lfs  lfs   236 2009-09-13 11:32 .bash_history
-rw-r--r-- 1 lfs  lfs     0 2009-09-13 11:31 .bash_profile
-rw-r--r-- 1 lfs  lfs     0 2009-09-13 09:08 .bashrc

You said I have to execute three lines of code, but I thought that the second line typography means that it is screenoutput ( in this case exec env -i HOME=$HOME TERM=$TERM PS1='\u:\w\$ ' /bin/bash) Am I wrong??

EricTRA · 09-13-2009, 05:15 AM

yep, there's your misunderstanding.

The cat command is normally, among others, used to show the contents of a file.

Code:

cat > ~/.bash_profile << "EOF"
exec env -i HOME=$HOME TERM=$TERM PS1='\u:\w\$ ' /bin/bash
EOF

With the command used as above you tell the system to redirect the output of cat with the > to a file called .bash_profile in the home directory of the currently logged in user (the one executing the command). Furthermore you're telling cat with << to use input from the console to cat to the file. Using the "EOF" you're also stating to use everything from the console as input until EOF is encountered on a new line.

I hope this makes sense. In short: where you logged in as the lfs user when performing the command? If so, then

Code:

cat /home/lfs/.bash_profile

should give you as output:

Code:

exec env -i HOME=$HOME TERM=$TERM PS1='\u:\w\$ ' /bin/bash

.
If this is not the fact then you have to repeat the steps:
1. log in as lfs user
2. copy the three lines as indicated in the book
3. paste the three lines in a console window logged in as lfs users
4. check the .bash_profile.

Let us know if it works out.

Kind regards,

Eric

Berend58 · 09-13-2009, 06:59 AM

That solved the problem. Thanks a lot. I guess creating the .bashrc file, is identical.
Going on with LFS

EricTRA · 09-13-2009, 07:01 AM

Hi,

Glad it worked out. And yes, the bashrc command is the same. Whatever problem you might encounter, I'm sure someone here at LQ can help you out.

Kind regards,

Eric

EricTRA · 09-13-2009, 07:07 AM

Oh and please mark the thread as solved using the Thread Tools.

Kind regards,

Eric