I have one script with common functions that is included in other my scripts with:
. ~/bin/fns
Since my ~/bin path is on the PATH, is there a way to prevent users to execute fns from command line (by returning from the script with a message), but to allow other scripts to include this file?
(Bash >= 4)
Just remove the executable bit with chmod -x . ~/bin/fns. It will still work when sourced, but you can't call it (accidentally) by its name anymore.
Add the following at the beginning of the script you want to be only allowed to be sourced:
if [ ${0##*/} == ${BASH_SOURCE[0]##*/} ]; then
echo "WARNING"
echo "This script is not meant to be executed directly!"
echo "Use this script only by sourcing it."
echo
exit 1
fi
This will check if the current script and executed shell script file basenames match. If they match, then obviously you are executing it directly so we print a message and exit with status 1.
Some scripts at my workplace use a special shebang
#!/bin/echo Run:.
which returns
Run:. <pathname>
when you use it as a command.
if ! (return 0 2>/dev/null) ; then
echo "Error: direct invocation disallowed"
exit 1
fi
sourcebuilt-in also utilizesPATH.