Getting "( unexpected" syntax error - Script works in one instance but not another [duplicate]

Question

#!/bin/bash

PS3="Select an install package: "
items=("Essentials - VLC"
       "Graphics Suite - Inkscape, GIMP, Blender"
       "Streaming Suite - OBS, Openshot, Blender")
select opt in "${items[@]}" "Cancel - Install Manually"
do
    case $opt in
        1) echo "== Installing Essentials ==";
           sudo apt install vlc -y; wait; break;;
        2) echo "== Installing Graphics Suite ==";
           sudo apt install vlc inkscape gimp blender -y; wait; break;;
        3) echo "== Installing Streaming Suite ==";
           sudo apt install vlc obs openshot blender -y; wait; break;;
        $((${#items[@]}+1)))
           echo "Remember, you can manually install with";
           echo "  'sudo apt install [app name]'";
           echo "  'sudo flatpak install [app name]'";
           echo "or through the 'Software Manager'";
           sleep 8; break;;
        *) echo "Invalid option - please select a number from 1 to $((${#items[@]}+1))";
    esac
done
clear

I'm experimenting with an item select command. When I open the script as an executable and it opens a terminal window (top example), the script runs as expected. But when I open the Terminal and run the script with a sh command (bottom example), I get an "(" unexpected syntax error on line 42 and the script breaks.

What's going on here?

# Line 42 lands on the options tab.

options=("Essentials - VLC"\
         "Graphics Suite - Inkscape, GIMP, Blender"\
         "Streaming Suite - OBS, Openshot, Blender")

I also tried it on a single line (without the backslashes) but got the same error result when I tried to run it from the Terminal with sh.

EDIT: I tried running it with bash and it ran without breaking, but now it gives me the else condition: *) echo "Invalid option... no matter which option I pick.

You wrote your script for bash, so it must be run by bash and not by sh. — user1934428
– user1934428, Commented Sep 13, 2023 at 6:27
Okay. This time I used the 'bash' command to run it and that pesky error didn't reappear, but now no matter which number I input, I always get the else "*)" condition: "Invalid option - select..." — AJSarley223
– AJSarley223, Commented Sep 13, 2023 at 16:41
Show the code (not a screenshot). Show how you call the script. Post the complete error message. — user1934428
– user1934428, Commented Sep 14, 2023 at 10:02
Add declare -p opt >&2 to log what value opt has before you enter your case. — Charles Duffy
– Charles Duffy, Commented Sep 15, 2023 at 15:46

Gilles Quénot · Accepted Answer · 2023-09-13 03:58:43Z

1

sh aka POSIX shell, don't have array feature. Choose if you want to use bash or sh.

bash support array and even, associative arrays:

#!/bin/bash

options=(
    "Essentials - VLC"
    "Graphics Suite - Inkscape, GIMP, Blender"
    "Streaming Suite - OBS, Openshot, Blender"
)

select x in "${options[@]}"; do
    echo "$x"
done

1) Essentials - VLC
2) Graphics Suite - Inkscape, GIMP, Blender
3) Streaming Suite - OBS, Openshot, Blender
#?

edited Sep 13, 2023 at 3:58

answered Sep 13, 2023 at 3:40

Gilles Quénot

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