[ubuntu-za] Script error

[Walter Leibbrandt]

1.sean.riley wrote:
> I think it must look as follows;
>
> #/bin/dash
> if [ -f /mnt/backup/mailbackups/*.dotproject.files.tar.gz ]; then
>      rm /mnt/backup/mailbackups/*.dotproject.files.tar.gz
> fi
>
> cheers
> AcidHawk
>   
>
>
> Alf Stockton wrote:
>> I have the following commands in DingDong.sh test file
>>
>> #/bin/dash
>> if [ -f /mnt/backup/mailbackups/*.dotproject.files.tar.gz ]
>>      then
>>      rm /mnt/backup/mailbackups/*.dotproject.files.tar.gz
>> fi
>>
>> and I keep getting the error:-
>>
>> ./DingDong.sh: line 2: [: too many arguments
>>
>> Please tell me how I got this wrong.
>>
>>   
Not quite. The newline before the "then" negates the need for a 
semicolon. The problem is that if 
/mnt/back/mailbackups/*.dotproject.files.tar.gz is expanded to more than 
one file there are more arguments than -f can handle.

Solution:
#!/bin/dash
if [ -n "$(ls /mnt/back/mailbackups/*.dotproject.files.tar.gz 2> 
/dev/null)" ]; then
    rm /mnt/back/mailbackups/*.dotproject.files.tar.gz
fi

HTH

-- 
Walter Leibbrandt                  Software Developer
Recent blogs:
* Firefox-style button with a pop-up menu
http://www.translate.org.za/blogs/walter/en/content/firefox-style-button-pop-menu