Is there a way to set an environment variable (for the parent shell) through a bash script???

[Vinod]

I need to set an env variable in the script.

below are the ways I have tried

***********************test.sh**************************************
#!/bin/bash
export testvar=testvar1
echo $testvar
***********************test.sh**************************************

[wasadmin@u060web4 wasadmin]$./test.sh
testvar1
[wasadmin@u060web4 wasadmin]$echo $testvar

[wasadmin@u060web4 wasadmin]

echo $testvar doesn't return the value. seems like the export doesn't
work for the parent shell only the child shells seems to have the
variable exported.

Next Try

***********************setparams.sh**************************************
#!/bin/bash
export testvar=testvar1
echo $testvar
***********************setparams.sh**************************************

***********************test.sh********************************************
#!/bin/bash
. ./setparams.sh
echo $testvar
***********************test.sh********************************************

[wasadmin@u060web4 wasadmin]$./test.sh
testvar1
[wasadmin@u060web4 wasadmin]$echo $testvar

[wasadmin@u060web4 wasadmin]

Same Result.

Is there a way to set the variable for the Parent Shell. sourcing in
.profile works but the need here is to have it the shell script.

thanks
vinod

[Andreas Janssen]

Hello

Vinod (<vinodb...@yahoo.com>) wrote:

> I need to set an env variable in the script.
>
> below are the ways I have tried
>

> [...]

> #!/bin/bash
> export testvar=testvar1
> echo $testvar

> [...]

>
> echo $testvar doesn't return the value. seems like the export doesn't
> work for the parent shell only the child shells seems to have the
> variable exported.

Run

. test.sh

That will execute the script in the current shell.

best regards
Andreas Janssen

--
Andreas Janssen <andreas...@bigfoot.com>
PGP-Key-ID: 0xDC801674 ICQ #17079270
Registered Linux User #267976
http://www.andreas-janssen.de/debian-tipps.html

[Rich Gibbs]

Andreas Janssen said the following, on 09/13/04 13:47:

> Hello
>
> Vinod (<vinodb...@yahoo.com>) wrote:
>
>
>> I need to set an env variable in the script.
>>
>> below are the ways I have tried
>>
>> [...]
>> #!/bin/bash
>> export testvar=testvar1
>> echo $testvar
>> [...]
>>
>> echo $testvar doesn't return the value. seems like the export doesn't
>> work for the parent shell only the child shells seems to have the
>> variable exported.
>
>

It is not possible for any process to set the environment of its parent.

>
> Run
>
> .. test.sh

>
> That will execute the script in the current shell.
>

I think you mean to run:

. ./test.sh

At least, that's what works in bash.

> rgibbs@rich02:~/tmp$ cat try.sh

> #!/bin/bash
> export testvar=testvar1
> echo $testvar
>

> rgibbs@rich02:~/tmp$ echo $testvar
>
> rgibbs@rich02:~/tmp$ . ./try.sh
> testvar1
> rgibbs@rich02:~/tmp$ echo $testvar
> testvar1

This works because the initial '.' tells the (current) shell to read and
execute the lines in './try.sh' as input to the current shell process.

(BTW, it is a perfectly natural habit to call things 'test', but it's
really not a good idea -- man test.)

--
Rich Gibbs
rgi...@alumni.princeton.edu
PS: Sorry for multi-posting: I did not notice that AJ had reset followups.