topic Re: Script file creation problem in Operating System - HP-UX

Script file creation problem

David Land — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 11:03:50 GMT

I have a fairly simple problem that I seem to not be able to get figured out.
I have created a simple script that displays contents of a file. The problem I
am running into seems to stem from another problem I had run into before, I think.

After I created the file I did a chmod 777 on it. Then everytime I tried to run
the script, I receive "sh: scriptname: not found." But if I put a ./scriptname, it works.
I decided to create a test user to see if the problem was with my user id and
everything worked correctly.

The only difference I see between my actual user and my test user is the Start-Up
Program in SAM.

This is where the earlier problem I ran into must be the factor. I had to change the
Start-Up Program from /usr/bin/sh to /sbin/sh so I could make FTP work. I do not have
an /etc/ftpd/ftpusers file so I know that cannot be the problem.

My question is this, 1) Why am I having problems running this simple script that
I created and 2) Do I really need the Start-Up Program to list /sbin/sh for this
user id to FTP?

Re: Script file creation problem

RAC_1 — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 11:09:52 GMT

What do you use in your script??

/sbin/sh or /usr/sbin/sh??
what are the perms on /sbin/sh

Anil

Re: Script file creation problem

Mark Greene_1 — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 11:14:21 GMT

At some point the PATH variable is getting reset to not include the current directory. Do test of both scenarios to capture the output from "env" and see which one has a "." in the PATH and which one does not.

mark

Re: Script file creation problem

Siddhesh — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 11:29:44 GMT

What is the name you have given to your script? Make sure that you should not give any `commandname` to your script.
Because when you try to execute your script, your shell searches the PATH for the `scriptname` and if the commandâ s PATH comes before your script's PATH, then your shell will try to execute the `command` instead of your script.
And that `command` must be requiring Root privileges to run(/sbin/sh is a rootâ s shell).
Your script works when you give ./ that is because of the same reason. Since you specify the current directory and run your script, it does not search the PATH for the `scriptname` and runs it from the current directory.

Please let me know whether it resolves your issue.

Sid

Re: Script file creation problem

David Land — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 11:34:44 GMT

Mark, you were right. The . was not in my users PATH statement but was in the test PATH.

Re: Script file creation problem

Govind_3 — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 11:39:40 GMT

/sbin/sh should be for roots default shell. I would suggest you to use /usr/bin/sh for ordinary users. In anycase the problem is your initialization files, I think, check your .profile and .login for these users, its defintely the $PATH variable which is not including "." the current directory in the 1st case (where it isnt working) and it is being included in the seocnd case where its working.
-Good luck
Govind

Re: Script file creation problem

David Land — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 11:40:34 GMT

Last question, since the "." seemed to be the problem, what is the . actually used for?

Re: Script file creation problem

Pete Randall — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 11:41:47 GMT

The "." stands for the current directory or PWD.

Pete

Re: Script file creation problem

Mark Greene_1 — Thu, 14 Oct 2004 11:49:30 GMT

"." is current directory, and ".." is parent directory. If you go to somewhere like /var/spool and do an ls -la|pg, at the top of the listing you'll see them. You can use them as an indirect directory reference, like "cd ..".

mark