[gentoo-user] /usr/bin/test doesn't seem to do anything

[gentoo-user] /usr/bin/test doesn't seem to do anything

[Robert Persson]

Someone was kind enough to send me a script that calls /usr/bin/test. When the 
script didn't work I realised that test was behaving strangely. Basically it 
doesn't seem to return anything.

For instance "test -f /usr/bin/test" doesn't display any output.

Nor does "test --help".

Nor "test --version".

The version I am using is from sys-apps/coreutils-5.2.1-r6 .

It's very hard to do a google search for anything to do with troubleshooting a 
program called "test". Anyone know what is going on here?

Thanks
Robert
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Robert Persson
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Conspiracy Bears:
Once upon a time there were lots of conspiracy bears...

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Re: [gentoo-user] /usr/bin/test doesn't seem to do anything

[Zac Medico]

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Robert Persson wrote:
> Someone was kind enough to send me a script that calls /usr/bin/test. When the 
> script didn't work I realised that test was behaving strangely. Basically it 
> doesn't seem to return anything.
> 
> For instance "test -f /usr/bin/test" doesn't display any output.
> 
> Nor does "test --help".
> 
> Nor "test --version".
> 
> The version I am using is from sys-apps/coreutils-5.2.1-r6 .
> 
> It's very hard to do a google search for anything to do with troubleshooting a 
> program called "test". Anyone know what is going on here?

Well, you could start with `man test`.  However, test is also a bash builtin (try `type test`) so you may want to consult the bash info manual instead (try `info bash`).

Zac
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Re: [gentoo-user] /usr/bin/test doesn't seem to do anything

[Eric Bliss]

On Thursday 26 January 2006 03:35 pm, Robert Persson wrote:
> Someone was kind enough to send me a script that calls /usr/bin/test. When 
the 
> script didn't work I realised that test was behaving strangely. Basically it 
> doesn't seem to return anything.
> 
> For instance "test -f /usr/bin/test" doesn't display any output.
> 
> Nor does "test --help".
> 
> Nor "test --version".
> 
> The version I am using is from sys-apps/coreutils-5.2.1-r6 .
> 
> It's very hard to do a google search for anything to do with troubleshooting 
a 
> program called "test". Anyone know what is going on here?
> 

try "info coreutils test".  Seems there may also be a "test" command built 
into the shell.  In addition, test itself doesn't seem like it prints out 
information, but simply exits with an error code of 0, 1, or 2.  It also said 
something about using an unmatched square bracket when trying to use the 
--help and --version options.

In general, it just looks kind of weird.

-- 
Eric Bliss
systems design and integration,
CreativeCow.Net
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Re: [gentoo-user] /usr/bin/test doesn't seem to do anything

[Richard Fish]

On 1/26/06, Robert Persson <ireneshusband@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
> Someone was kind enough to send me a script that calls /usr/bin/test. When the
> script didn't work I realised that test was behaving strangely. Basically it
> doesn't seem to return anything.

test doesn't output anything...it indicates success/failure with the
exit code.  Try the following test.sh script:

#!/bin/bash
/usr/bin/test "$@"
rc=$?
if test "$rc" -eq 0; then
   echo "'test $@' was successful"
else
   echo "'test $@' failed with code $rc"
fi

As others have said though, watch out for the 'test' command built-in
to many shells, as the behavior there is defined by the shell. 
Generally though, /usr/bin/test and bash test should work the same....

-Richard

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Re: [gentoo-user] /usr/bin/test doesn't seem to do anything

[Robert Persson]

On Thursday 26 January 2006 16:22 Richard Fish was like:
> test doesn't output anything...it indicates success/failure with the
> exit code.  
...
> As others have said though, watch out for the 'test' command built-in
> to many shells, as the behavior there is defined by the shell.
> Generally though, /usr/bin/test and bash test should work the same....

It turns out that I was mistaken and the script was in fact invoking the bash 
built-in test (the /usr/bin/test stuff was my overactive imagination).

/usr/bin/test is still weird, as Eric Bliss said, because it doesn't print 
help and version info the way the manpage says it should.

A difference between the two tests is that, for /usr/bin/test, a non-zero exit 
status means false, whereas bash test resolves to a non-zero value when true.

Haven't had time to take another look at the bash script I was wrestling with. 
So still not sure whether bash test is being weird as well.


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Robert Persson

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Once upon a time there were lots of conspiracy bears...


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Re: [gentoo-user] /usr/bin/test doesn't seem to do anything

[Beau E. Cox]

On Friday 27 January 2006 09:43 pm, Robert Persson wrote:
> On Thursday 26 January 2006 16:22 Richard Fish was like:
> > test doesn't output anything...it indicates success/failure with the
> > exit code.  
>
> ...
>
> > As others have said though, watch out for the 'test' command built-in
> > to many shells, as the behavior there is defined by the shell.
> > Generally though, /usr/bin/test and bash test should work the same....
>
> It turns out that I was mistaken and the script was in fact invoking the
> bash built-in test (the /usr/bin/test stuff was my overactive imagination).
>
> /usr/bin/test is still weird, as Eric Bliss said, because it doesn't print
> help and version info the way the manpage says it should.
>
> A difference between the two tests is that, for /usr/bin/test, a non-zero
> exit status means false, whereas bash test resolves to a non-zero value
> when true.

Not true. Both exit with $? == 0 on success. Try this script:

#!/bin/sh

test -d /etc
echo "test -d /etc : $?"
/usr/bin/test -d /etc
echo "/usr/bin/test -d /etc : $?"

test -d /etcx
echo "test -d /etcx : $?"
/usr/bin/test -d /etcx
echo "/usr/bin/test -d /etcx : $?"

which outputs:

test -d /etc : 0
/usr/bin/test -d /etc : 0
test -d /etcx : 1
/usr/bin/test -d /etcx : 1


>
> Haven't had time to take another look at the bash script I was wrestling
> with. So still not sure whether bash test is being weird as well.
>
>
> --
> Robert Persson
>
> Conspiracy Bears:
> Once upon a time there were lots of conspiracy bears...

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Aloha => Beau;


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