Bash Script Path Containing Space

Question

I just have this simple script :

#!/bin/bash

mainDir="EVE-NG\ Repos"
mega-ls [email protected]:$mainDir

But I got this error :

[API:err: 08:40:34] Couldn't find "[email protected]:EVE-NG\ Repos"

When I enter the command natively in bash like this :

mega-ls [email protected]:EVE-NG\ Repos

It works, but inside the script, it doesn't.

Remove the `\` from the variable assignment, and quot your variables, try pasting your code at shellcheck.net for validation/recommendation. — Jetchisel
– Jetchisel, Commented Sep 30, 2021 at 8:46
I tried to remove it, but the path has to be passed to mega-ls as (EVE-NG\ Repos) in order to work. I tried the followings : mainDir = "EVE-NG\\ Repos" mainDir = "EVE-NG\ Repos" None of them works — Ahmed Ra'fat
– Ahmed Ra'fat, Commented Sep 30, 2021 at 8:50
The script and the command entered interactively are not equivalent: in the script, the backslash is literal. mainDir='EVE-NG Repos'; mega-ls [email protected]:"$mainDir" should really work. — Benjamin W.
– Benjamin W., Commented Sep 30, 2021 at 9:05

2e0byo · Accepted Answer · 2021-09-30 09:32:12Z

1

Try typing this in at the shell:

mega-ls "[email protected]:EVE-NG Repos"

Does that clear things up? Inside quotes you don't need to escape spaces (and it doesn't work, sending \char instead).

Note that this is required all the way:

Myvar="this and that"
echo "$Myvar" #with quotes to get 1 arg

answered Sep 30, 2021 at 9:32

2e0byo

6,0241 gold badge9 silver badges31 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

1 Answer 1