nice little shell script needs some "error checking" help

pendal · 10-15-2009, 07:57 AM

I have this little script i wrote to use the diff command to check two directories, if they are exactly the same the first one is deleted.

here is the script as it sits now.

Code:

#! /bin/bash

diff -qr "$1" "$2" > /dev/null
v1=$?

if [ $v1 = 0 ]
then
rm -Rf "$1"
echo "$1 was removed"
else
SUBJECT="Did not Remove a folder"
TO="myemail@address.com"
MESSAGE="/msg/checkdiffmsg.txt"

echo "Not Right. Did Not Remove The Directory" >> $MESSAGE
echo "$1" >> $MESSAGE

/usr/bin/mail -s "$SUBJECT" "$TO" < "$MESSAGE"

rm $MESSAGE
fi

the script is called using this command line

checkdiff.sh dir1 dir2

the script is working well with one problem.

when the rm command is issued, sometimes the files are locked and the directory cannot be removed.

is there a way for me to check for this? or at least to shoot myself an email and tell me that it did not happen?

Thanks in advance.

-C

TB0ne · 10-15-2009, 10:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pendal

I have this little script i wrote to use the diff command to check two directories, if they are exactly the same the first one is deleted.

the script is called using this command line

checkdiff.sh dir1 dir2

the script is working well with one problem.
when the rm command is issued, sometimes the files are locked and the directory cannot be removed.
is there a way for me to check for this? or at least to shoot myself an email and tell me that it did not happen?

You could always check the return status of the RM command, and if it's bad, mail a message out. From the info page on the 'rm' command:

Code:

An exit status of zero indicates success, and a nonzero value
indicates failure.

obtained via this command: info coreutils 'rm invocation' on openSUSE

bigearsbilly · 10-18-2009, 11:06 AM

how about, check the directory after, if it's still there it's an error.
then send a mail.

at the end of the script...

Code:

dir=/blah/blah/dir 

[ -d "$dir" ] || exit  # it isn't there anymore

mail -s "dir remove failed" $USER  << EOF

       $(date)
       Failed to remove the following file(s)
       
$(find $dir)
 
EOF