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Date: Fri, 13 Sep 1996 14:00:46 -0600
From: Sean Kelly <kelly@fsl.noaa.gov>
To: hmmm@alaska.net
Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
In-Reply-To: <323A122F.34B@alaska.net> (message from hmmm on Fri, 13 Sep 1996
	19:02:23 -0700)
Subject: Re: several
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>>>>> hmmm  <hmmm@alaska.net> writes:

> 1. how do you execute a sh cmd in a script - in your login shell?
> i'd like to "cd" in a script, and i want to be "there" when the
> script ends.

It's impossible because a script runs as a separate process and each
process has its own working directory.

But, if the shell itself executed the script, rather than as a
separate process, then it's possible.  If you're running csh/tcsh, do:

	source <script-name>

and <script-name> should be a csh script.  If you're running sh/ksh,
do:

	. <script-name>

(note the space after the dot) and here, <script-name> should be a
Bourne script.

In either case, the commands in <script-name> are executed by the
current shell instead of in a subprocess.

Yet another alternative is for the <script-name> to print to standard
output the name of the directory you want to end up in; then you just
have to do:

	cd `<script-name>`

Now, <script-name> can be any kind of script and it can be run from
either kind of shell.

> 3. why do i see so many "xerox"ed messages here?  i like 2 for the
> price of 1, except when it comes to e.mail! :)

Heh, heh ... it's because when I reply to your message, your email
address is in the `To:' list, so you see a copy right away.  But then
`freebsd-questions' is the the `Cc:' list, and since you're on the
freebsd-questions list, you get a second copy at a later time.  :-)

--k