Path: utzoo!utgpu!attcan!uunet!husc6!cmcl2!brl-adm!adm!rbj@nav.icst.nbs.gov
From: rbj@nav.icst.nbs.gov (Root Boy Jim)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions
Subject: changing dir inside shell
Message-ID: <16654@brl-adm.ARPA>
Date: 27 Jul 88 17:35:51 GMT
Sender: news@brl-adm.ARPA
Lines: 33

? From: bianco@uxe.cso.uiuc.edu

? I have the following in a file called 'mover':
?  cp *.me /usr/tmp
?  cd /usr/tmp 
? Upon entering 'sh mover' the files are copied, and the directory is
? changed, however the shell is then exited and the current directory
? is changed back to my home directory. How can I cause the shell to exit
? in the directory I changed to ? 

The bad news is that you can't, at least not the way you are doing it.
The good news is that you can, if you do it in other ways.

The problem is that `mover' is being executed by a subshell, and when it
goes away, the parent's working directory is unchanged. Solutions:

1) If `sh' or `ksh' is your parent shell, type ". mover".
   You may also use shell functions, or even aliases if you prefer.

2) If `csh' is your parent shell, type "source mover".
   You may also use aliases here.

Note that sourcing a file is less flexible, as you cannot pass any
parameters ($1, $2, etc) to it. With shell functions and aliases you can.

? -nick		bianco@uiuc.uxe.cso.edu  or  bianco@uiucvmd.cso.uiuc.edu

	(Root Boy) Jim Cottrell	<rbj@icst-cmr.arpa>
	National Bureau of Standards
	Flamer's Hotline: (301) 975-5688
	The opinions expressed are solely my own
	and do not reflect NBS policy or agreement
	Careful with that VAX Eugene!