issue with array in shell on ubuntu

Question

I used to have a server running CentOS, and I used to execute shell files this way:

sudo sh /folder/script.sh

Now I have an Ubuntu server. When I'm executing the same command line, I now have the following error message:

/folder/script.sh: ID[0]=ID: not found

I had a look on the internet and it says I need to use:

sudo /bin/bash /folder/script.sh

But when I do so I got the same error message.

The first line of my script is:

ID[0]="ID"

paste first few lines of your script. You might be missing shebang.. — SMA
– SMA, Commented Dec 22, 2014 at 10:47
thanks a lot for having a look @almasshaikh I just edited my message — woshitom
– woshitom, Commented Dec 22, 2014 at 10:55

mirabilos · Accepted Answer · 2014-12-22 12:05:19Z

1

/bin/sh is often a POSIX shell, which does not support arrays.

I suggest you install another shell which does support them, like mksh (disclaimer: I’m its developer), ksh93, zsh, or just use GNU bash instead, and call your script with, for example, sudo mksh /folder/script.sh instead. This will give you more consistent behaviour across systems, too (note that to behave consistent on all platforms is actually an mksh design goal).

Hm… this works for me:

$ cat >x
#!/bin/bash
ID[0]="ID"
echo works for me
$ mksh x
works for me

Do you have any weird characters in your script, like embedded Carriage Return (^M)? Check with: cat -v /folder/script.sh

edited Dec 22, 2014 at 12:05

answered Dec 22, 2014 at 11:32

mirabilos

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3 Comments

woshitom Over a year ago

i got exactly the same error : "ID[0]=ID: not found"

woshitom Over a year ago

Thanks for your help, I used mksh, well actually "ID[0]=ID: not found" is the second line, the first line is #!/bin/bash

woshitom Over a year ago

it also works for me, in your example you are not quotting your string, gotta try this way

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