Arch Linux

swedala

Member

Registered: 2008-02-17

Posts: 8

bash issue

Trying to use command:

echo -e "\142"

On my slackware i get this result.
swedala@alfa:~ > echo -e "\142"
b
swedala@alfa:~ >

On my archlinux i get this output:
[swedala@baldur ~]$ echo -e "\142"
\142
[swedala@baldur ~]$

Both workstations are bash shell default, but I can not understand why I not get the same result.

Any idea?

neotuli

Lazy Developer

From: London, UK

Registered: 2004-07-06

Posts: 1,204

Website

Re: bash issue

Arch is using bash's builtin "echo", while your other distro is using the "echo" binary.

[simo@redshift ~]$ echo -e "\142"
\142
[simo@redshift ~]$ man bash
[simo@redshift ~]$ /bin/echo -e "\142"
b
[simo@redshift ~]$

It's possible that your other distro has aliased "bash" to "/bin/bash" in /etc/profile or your bashrc.

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swedala

Member

Registered: 2008-02-17

Posts: 8

Re: bash issue

Thanks for quick response.

I will check what's aliased on my other dist.

pixellany

Member

From: Annapolis, MD

Registered: 2006-05-12

Posts: 59

Re: bash issue

PCLinuxOS:
[mherring@localhost ~]$ echo -e "\142"
b
[mherring@localhost ~]$ /bin/echo -e "\142"
b

No aliases in place for echo

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eerok

Member

From: Canada

Registered: 2005-03-20

Posts: 171

Re: bash issue

$ echo -e "\142"
\142
$ /bin/echo -e "\142"
b
$ which echo
/bin/echo

Weird.

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dmartins

Member

Registered: 2006-09-23

Posts: 360

Re: bash issue

Try:
echo -e "\0142"
Maybe it is more portable! Just a guess.