Bash scripts using arrays fail

[ioctlvoid]

I have several bash scripts that I've used successfully in Slackware that fail in Mint. The ones that fail all use arrays in some way. I thought perhaps I was using arrays in the wrong way, but even examples from e.g. http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2010/06/bas ... -tutorial/ fail.

E.g.

Code: Select all

#!/bin/sh

declare -a Unix=('Debian' 'Red hat' 'Red hat' 'Suse' 'Fedora');
echo ${Unix[@]}


Fail with:

Code: Select all

./array.sh: 3: ./array.sh: Syntax error: "(" unexpected


Why does this happen?

[eanfrid]

Your default shell called by the symlink /bin/sh is not bash but dash (debian shell), hence the error message

[ioctlvoid]

Your default shell called by the symlink /bin/sh is not bash but dash (debian shell), hence the error message

Thanks. Is that symlink safe to change to bash? Why does it by default point to dash?

[eanfrid]

You can safely use any alternative you like. Regarding dash, check wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debian_Almquist_shell

[ioctlvoid]

You can safely use any alternative you like.

Thanks.

Regarding dash, check wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Debian_Almquist_shell

So Mint throws away essential scripting functionality in the name of saving 800 kB?

[eanfrid]

Mint's primary target is not the technical user (who can do and change whatever suits his (her) needs). Common users won't make complex scripting (if any) and even then, there are many non-shell alternatives or programming languages... I used bash for many years too but I finally think its extended functions are rather in the realm of a true programming language than in the realm of command-line interpreters.