In one of my scripts, I want the user to have the ability to input a parameter with a directory path and a file name with a glob pattern so that the script can expand it there. The problem is that the shell is expanding it in the parameter list already. I can demonstrate with the sample script, globproblem.sh. Here is the script:

#!/bin/bash
set -o noglob
echo "all parameters are:" $@
echo "The first parameter is:" $1

When I run it as shown:

./globproblem.sh /export/nfshome/pggah/*.txt

I get the following output:

all parameters are: /export/nfshome/pggah/jackie2.txt
/export/nfshome/pggah/logfile.txt /export/nfshome/pggah/newfile.txt
/export/nfshome/pggah/pggah.txt /export/nfshome/pggah/small.txt
The first parameter is: /export/nfshome/pggah/jackie2.txt

It is only if I escape the asterisk as shown:

./globproblem.sh /export/nfshome/pggah/\*.txt

Do I get what I want:

all parameters are: /export/nfshome/pggah/*.txt
The first parameter is: /export/nfshome/pggah/*.txt

I have tried setting the noglob option in the script with +o, -o and without it and it makes no difference. I would prefer not having to escape the asterisk. Does anyone know how I can take in the input parameter without it globbing?

Thanks in advance.

Don't fight with yout shell, on the contrary work with it...

For example the convert command from ImageMagik has
a -profile='*' option (to blank the profile infos of an image)

If you don't quote the * in your shell, -profile option is filled
with all files in current directory and convert outputs an error...

I haven't see a program that take care of that by itself yet

Great suggestion. I tried quoting the parameter as shown

./globproblem.sh '/export/nfshome/pggah/*.txt'

and the shell did not expand it out. Thanks for the help. It is not exactly how I was trying to acomplish it, but it works and better yet without any coding changes. Thanks again.