From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Fri Apr 28 16:34:24 2006
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
X-Original-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 1675316A403
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Fri, 28 Apr 2006 16:34:24 +0000 (UTC)
	(envelope-from martin@dc.cis.okstate.edu)
Received: from dc.cis.okstate.edu (dc.cis.okstate.edu [139.78.100.219])
	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id AE9D143D46
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Fri, 28 Apr 2006 16:34:23 +0000 (GMT)
	(envelope-from martin@dc.cis.okstate.edu)
Received: from dc.cis.okstate.edu (localhost.cis.okstate.edu [127.0.0.1])
	by dc.cis.okstate.edu (8.12.6/8.12.6) with ESMTP id k3SGYNhn093282
	for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>;
	Fri, 28 Apr 2006 11:34:23 -0500 (CDT)
	(envelope-from martin@dc.cis.okstate.edu)
Message-Id: <200604281634.k3SGYNhn093282@dc.cis.okstate.edu>
To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2006 11:34:23 -0500
From: Martin McCormick <martin@dc.cis.okstate.edu>
Subject: Bourn Shell -n Flag Questions
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2006 16:34:24 -0000

	I read about the noexecute flag or -n flag which is supposed
to check the syntax of a Bourn Shell script to see what it would do if
run, but not actually do anything.  This sounds like a wonderful
thing, especially when one is going to run a dangerous script and you
only get one chance to get it right.

	I tried sh -n scriptname and it always silently succeeds even
if I type sh -x -n somescript.  I even deliberately created a script
with a syntax error in it and tried sh -x -n again.  It still did
nothing but exit.  Does this just not work or am I misunderstanding
the purpose of the flag?

	Thanks for your help.

Martin McCormick WB5AGZ  Stillwater, OK 
Systems Engineer
OSU Information Technology Department Network Operations Group