I have a shell script that assigns my IP address to a variable, but after running the script, I cannot access the variable in bash. If I put an echo in the script, it will print the variable, but it does not save it after the script is done running.
Is there a way to change the script to access it after it runs?
ip=$(/sbin/ifconfig | grep "inet " | awk '{print $2}' | grep -v 127 | cut -d":" -f2)
I am using terminal on a Mac.
A script by default runs in a a child process, which means the current (calling) shell cannot see its variables.
You have the following options:
Make the script output the information (to stdout), so that the calling shell can capture it and assign it to a variable of its own. This is probably the cleanest solution.
ip=$(my-script)
Source the script to make it run in the current shell as opposed to a child process. Note, however, that all modifications to the shell environment you make in your script then affect the current shell.
. my-script # any variables defined (without `local`) are now visible
Refactor your script into a function that you define in the current shell (e.g., by placing it in ~/.bashrc); again, all modifications made by the function will be visible to the current shell:
# Define the function
my-func() { ip=$(/sbin/ifconfig | grep "inet " | awk '{print $2}' | grep -v 127 | cut -d":" -f2); }
# Call it; $ip is implicitly defined when you do.
my-func
As an aside: You can simplify your command as follows:
/sbin/ifconfig | awk '/inet / && $2 !~ /^127/ { print $2 }'
