bash alternative command with same arguments

Question

I would like to run this command:

cmd -arg1 foo -arg2 bar

but, if cmd-better is available, I prefer to execute it with same arguments:

cmd-better -arg1 foo -arg2 bar

Finally, my question is, it is possible to have this in only one line, for example:

(cmd-better || cmd) -arg1 foo -arg2 bar

(which means execute cmd-better (if available) with those arguments, else execute cmd with same arguments.

Etan Reisner · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-21 18:14:36Z

2

You can do something like this:

"$(command -v cmd-better cmd | head -n 1)" -arg1 foo -arg2 bar

but I wouldn't recommend it.

I'd do it ahead of time and store the command you want in a variable

Something like:

if ! cmd=$(command -v cmd-better); then
    cmd=$(command -v cmd)
fi

"$cmd" -arg1 foo -arg2 bar

answered Apr 21, 2015 at 18:14

Etan Reisner

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