Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!eecae!cps3xx!usenet
From: usenet@cps3xx.UUCP (Usenet file owner)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: MINIX 1.2 command-substitution
Keywords: MINIX 1.2 (640K), shell, command substitution
Message-ID: <1937@cps3xx.UUCP>
Date: 23 Feb 89 15:05:22 GMT
Expires: 13 Mar 89 05:00:00 GMT
References: <1833@cpsxx.UUCP>
Reply-To: rattan@frith.egr.msu.edu ()
Organization: Michigan State University
Lines: 26


The follow up to my article <1833@cpsxx.UUCP> :

 >MINIX 1.2 (640K-PC version) the shell has problems with command
 >substitution unlike the Bourne shell under UNIX:
 >
 >list=`ls /usr/bin`            fails with the message
 >asld: can't open basename
 >
 >echo $list
 >ar
 >
 >It seems that it tries to execute the second element of the from
 >the output of execution of 'ls /usr/bin', whereas it supposed to
 >assign the string obtained by executing 'ls /usr/bin' to variable
 >list. It seems to be a shortcoming of the shell --- any 
 >help/opinion/pointers to fix the problem will be appreciated.

It seems that command substitution does work in MINIX shell, the syntax
is slightly different:

list="`ls /usr/bin`"

and does the correct execution of 'ls' command and string substitution.

-- ishwar rattan (rattan@frith.egr.msu.edu)