[SOLVED] assign the stdout of a command to a variable

vincix · 06-10-2016, 08:39 AM

I'd like to have a variables $USERS that contains all users, displayed in a row.
If I write echo `cut -d ":" -f1 /etc/passwd`, it's all fine. The users are displayed as I want them to. But how can I assign the result to the variable?

doing simply USERS=echo `cut -d ":" -f1 /etc/passwd` would include the word "echo" too. I'd prefer doing it using only one command.

dab1414 · 06-10-2016, 09:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vincix

I'd like to have a variables $USERS that contains all users, displayed in a row.
If I write echo `cut -d ":" -f1 /etc/passwd`, it's all fine. The users are displayed as I want them to. But how can I assign the result to the variable?

doing simply USERS=echo `cut -d ":" -f1 /etc/passwd` would include the word "echo" too. I'd prefer doing it using only one command.

I could be wrong, no bash expert here. But, I dont think you should use echo there, if you do put it in quotes as well. Did you try this below?

Code:

USERS=`cut -d ":" -f1 /etc/passwd`

but it is good practice to avoid all uppercase names for user defined variables.

Tonus · 06-10-2016, 09:51 AM

VAR=$(command with args)

Habitual · 06-10-2016, 10:58 AM

Code:

USERS=$(cut -d ":" -f1 /etc/passwd
echo "$USERS"

Reference: http://www.tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/commandsub.html
http://www.tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/varassignment.html

ondoho · 06-11-2016, 02:47 AM

Code:

users="$(cut -d: -f1 /etc/passwd)"
echo $users

vincix · 06-11-2016, 09:01 AM

Thanks for the answers. It was obvious a variable wouldn't contain a column, but a row, so I needn't have bothered myself with echo in the first place.

grail · 06-11-2016, 09:35 AM

Please mark as SOLVED once you have an answer