I am trying to execute the following shell script
#!/bin/sh
echo "start"
if [ $# != 2 || $1 != "first" || $1 != "second" ]
then
echo "Error"
fi
echo "done"
and I'm getting the following output: start ./autobuild.sh: line 3: [: missing `]' ./autobuild.sh: line 3: !=: command not found ./autobuild.sh: line 3: !=: command not found done
I have no idea how to resolve the errors. Even if I use -ne instead of !=, I get the same errors. Please help.
Your syntax is incorrect. If you want multiple conditions in an if statement you need to have multiple [] blocks. Try:
if [ $# != 2 ] || [ $1 != "first" ] || [ $1 != "second" ]
But, it's better to use [[ (if your shell supports it) as it is safer to use. I would go for:
if [[ $# -ne 2 || $1 != "first" || $1 != "second" ]]
See this question on brackets: Is [[ ]] preferable over [ ] in bash scripts?
While OR ing the conditions should be seperate as follows :
#!/bin/sh
echo "start"
if [ $# != 2] || [ $1 != "first" ] || [ $1 != "second" ]
then
echo "Error"
fi
echo "done"
Try substituting -NE for !=.
This should work:
#!/bin/sh
echo "start"
if [ $# -ne 2 -o $1 -ne "first" -o $1 -ne "second" ]
then
echo "Error"
fi
echo "done"
==doesn't exist in dash if you're running Ubuntu. Use=instead.!=!=is not the actual syntax error : pic.dhe.ibm.com/infocenter/aix/v7r1/…