how to change PWD in a shell script

slug420 · 01-28-2005, 07:51 AM

how can I change the current directory of the user from within a script?

I want the user to log in and be in their home directory but if they run the script for it to change their path to /etc or something.

If I use cd in the script or set the PWD variable it only affects the script as it runs and when it is finished the user is still in their home dir.

how can I do this?

trickykid · 01-28-2005, 07:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by slug420
how can I change the current directory of the user from within a script?

I want the user to log in and be in their home directory but if they run the script for it to change their path to /etc or something.

If I use cd in the script or set the PWD variable it only affects the script as it runs and when it is finished the user is still in their home dir.

how can I do this?

Simply use cd. And not sure why but why would you need their path to get changed to /etc? Why not just use the current command passwd which they can invoke anywhere to change their password?

slug420 · 01-28-2005, 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by trickykid
Simply use cd. And not sure why but why would you need their path to get changed to /etc? Why not just use the current command passwd which they can invoke anywhere to change their password?

Quote:

Originally posted by slug420
If I use cd in the script or set the PWD variable it only affects the script as it runs and when it is finished the user is still in their home dir.

/etc is only an example of a different directory. call it /directory/i/want/the/user/to/be/in/is/irellevant if you prefer

kees-jan · 01-28-2005, 09:13 AM

I think you'll find it hard (if not impossible) to do this from a shell script.

Have you taken a look at aliases or shell functions?

Groetjes,

Kees-Jan

oneandoneis2 · 01-28-2005, 09:21 AM

PWD = Print working directory or PWD = password. . ?

To change the current directory, use cd. To change password from a script - don't!

slug420 · 01-28-2005, 09:24 AM

pwd = print working directory...

cd does not work from within a script

Andrew Benton · 01-28-2005, 05:23 PM

Yes, cd does work within a script, the shell which runs the script spawns a sub-shell, /bin/bash, and within that shell you can cd wherever you want. When the script ends it will dump you back into the shell you started from which will still have the same working directory.

Blinker_Fluid · 01-28-2005, 05:37 PM

It's cheezy but it might just work...
create your script to do whatever your script does then set up and alias like so:
alias run_me='cd /home/user_username/spam/foo ; /home/user_name/spam/script'

Then when you run the run_me alias it will cd to the directory and run the script.
If that's too cheezy find your own way to do it.

/bin/bash · 01-29-2005, 07:27 AM

When you run a script it is run from a new shell environment. Any directory change will only effect that shell environment, and not the parent. If you would source the script then it is run from within the parent environment and then the cd command would effect the current environment.

. /path/to/script