/bin/sh

durgadatta · 02-13-2012, 08:36 AM

I read in an article http://www.pathname.com/fhs/pub/fhs-2.2.pdf (page no.8, two lines before "Begin Rationale") that /bin/sh should be hard or symbolic link to the actual shell we are using if we are not using bash shell. I am using C shell but my /bin/sh is a symbolic link to to bash shell only. I have not experience any trouble so far. Is this any issue?

David the H. · 02-13-2012, 10:24 AM

It sounds to me like it's exactly how you want it to be. AFAIUI "sh" generally refers to the bourne (POSIX) shell syntax, and the C shell is anything but.

What the reference appears to be saying is that unless you're using a true bourne shell to process /bin/sh scripts, but only a bourne-compatible one like bash, then it should be set up as a link.

durgadatta · 02-13-2012, 11:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David the H.

It sounds to me like it's exactly how you want it to be. AFAIUI "sh" generally refers to the bourne (POSIX) shell syntax, and the C shell is anything but.

What the reference appears to be saying is that unless you're using a true bourne shell to process /bin/sh scripts, but only a bourne-compatible one like bash, then it should be set up as a link.

I was asking what if i dont use bourne shell and also dont maeke a symbolic link to /bin/sh. Will it cause trouble?

catkin · 02-13-2012, 12:06 PM

/bin/sh is often used by system scripts including boot scripts so changing what it points to may cause breakage, especially if you change it to point to a csh shell.