Bash script get user and change dir

Question

How can I combine these two examples with pushd and whoami to change the directory?

I know I can change the directory like this:

#!/bin/bash
pushd /home/mike/Pictures > /dev/null
# do something in the new dir
ls
popd > /dev/null

And I know I can get the username like this:

#!/bin/bash
theuser=`whoami`
echo $theuser

You don't really need whoami, if I understand your request correctly. Just pushd -n ~/Pictures would do. — chrisaycock
– chrisaycock, Commented Dec 31, 2011 at 19:27

Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-31 19:42:38Z

3

You're waaay overthinking it...

cd ~/Pictures

EDIT:

Actually, no. What you really want is:

cd "$(xdg-user-dir PICTURES)"

edited Dec 31, 2011 at 19:42

answered Dec 31, 2011 at 19:26

Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams

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2 Comments

mike Over a year ago

Ignacio, Do you know if xdg-user-dir comes in Ubuntu natty by default? I mean in a new install, after applying security updates but before applying any recommend updates? Chrisaycock, I read the man for pushd but I still don't understand the -n option. What if I wanted to create a new directory after changing directories? I would need to omit the -n correct?

Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams Over a year ago

@mike: I'm not certain, but just in case you could put the result into a variable and use parameter substitution to replace ~/Pictures if it's empty.

rkb · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-31 19:25:13Z

2

Those backticks can be used to interpolate the output of the command they contain into another:

pushd /home/`whoami`/Pictures

answered Dec 31, 2011 at 19:25

rkb

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4 Comments

Jonathan Leffler Over a year ago

Use $(...) in preference to back-quotes. It is especially valuable if you need to nest the construct (which is not the case here).

mike Over a year ago

Thanks rkb, I took a break then came back and used your option. I still need the >/dev/null and popd > /dev/null correct?

rkb Over a year ago

Redirecting stdout to /dev/null will hide the normal output of those commands... so if that's what you want, then you still need them =) And popd to get back to the directory you were in before. Lots of good answers here, depending on what you really need to do with your script.

user3714751 Over a year ago

perfect comment, the backticks are really useful in general - thank you for that info, didn't knew that before.

Jonathan Leffler · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-31 19:25:23Z

0

Much easier than using pushd and popd, run the command in a sub-shell:

(
cd /home/$(whoami)/Pictures &&
ls
)

The sub-shell changes directory, without affecting the main process - exactly as you wanted, but rather more reliably.

answered Dec 31, 2011 at 19:25

Jonathan Leffler

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Comments

benesch · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-31 19:26:24Z

0

It's easier just to use cd to change the directory:

#!/bin/bash    
cd ~/Pictures

answered Dec 31, 2011 at 19:26

benesch

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Comments

fge · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-31 19:27:45Z

0

Among other solutions:

pushd "$HOME/Pictures"

After all, nothing obliges the home directory to bear the user name!

answered Dec 31, 2011 at 19:27

fge

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Comments

SiegeX · Accepted Answer · 2011-12-31 19:26:18Z

-1

Bash already has the $USER variable, no need to call an external binary

pushd /home/$USER/Pictures > /dev/null

answered Dec 31, 2011 at 19:26

SiegeX

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2 Comments

mike Over a year ago

If I go with this do I still need the popd > /dev/null ? I guess I don't fully understand what it does.

Gordon Davisson Over a year ago

If you're running this as a regular script (i.e. it's executable, starts with "#!", and you run it with the filename NOT the source or . commands), it'll run in a subshell. This means that when it does a cd, the subshell cd's to that directory, but your shell remains right where it was; when the subshell exits, it doesn't matter where it had cd'd to. Note that @Jonathan Leffler's answer can be used to force a subshell, in case this is not running as a regular script, or needs to do something back in the original directory after the ls.

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