On 15-06-2012 09:35:38 -0400, Ian Stakenvicius wrote:
> On 15/06/12 09:27 AM, Peter Stuge wrote:
> > Mike Frysinger wrote:
> >>> +       # lets see if the username already exists +       if [[
> >>> ! -n $(egetent passwd "${euser}") ]] ; then
> >> 
> >> "! -n" -> "-z"
> > 
> > Does the $() argument ever need to be double quoted, or do all 
> > versions of bash actually have the string argument optional even 
> > though that's not what the man page reads?
> 
> Ever?  Yes, but only if what is being returned can contain spaces (and
> this matters in the way that it's used).  In the case of 'egetent
> passwd', afaict no as it doesn't return anything with whitespace in it.
> 
> Examples -- this works:
> 
> $ bubba="test thing" ; if [ -n "$(echo $bubba)" ]; then echo OK; fi
> OK
> 
> Example -- this fails:
> 
> $ bubba="test thing" ; if [ -n $(echo $bubba) ]; then echo OK; fi
> bash: [: test: binary operator expected

Yes, but this works:

$ bubba="test thing" ; if [[ -n $(echo $bubba) ]]; then echo OK; fi
OK

(and he's using [[, not [)

-- 
Fabian Groffen
Gentoo on a different level