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if [ $(stat -c %s $OTDEFERS) -gt 128 ] ; then
   echo
   echo WARNING: Records have been written to the defers file
   STEP_WARNING=1
fi

I'm getting the following error when running this script:

-gt: unary operator expected

I read that putting the variables in double quotes usually does the job but how would it work with a variable that is contained within brackets?

MLansky
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  • Welcome on U&L! Have you any reason to think that quoting variables within "brackets" might not work as expected? ([ is by default a command: from the quoting point of view, [ "$var" ... works the same way as echo "$var" ...). – fra-san May 29 '19 at 10:36
  • Hi! Thanks for the answer. When I put double quotes around the brackets like this "$(stat -c %s $OTDEFERS)" it turns into a string – MLansky May 29 '19 at 10:52
  • Uhm... no, double quotes around command substitution ($(...)) won't make it a fixed string. Single quotes would. See, for reference: What is the difference between “…”, '…', $'…', and $“…” quotes?. Also, stat -c %s returns a single number (or nothing), thus preventing split+glob of the result of $(...) is likely not necessary. What you need to double-quote is $OTDEFERS → "$OTDEFERS". – fra-san May 29 '19 at 11:07
  • I've tried double quoting "$OTDEFERS" but I'm getting the same error.. – MLansky May 29 '19 at 11:10
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    Probably because "$OTDEFERS" does not expand to a valid path. Are you getting other error messages (e.g. stat: cannot stat <filename>: No such file or directory)? – fra-san May 29 '19 at 11:18
  • can you share which type shell you are trying(bash, sh etc)? – asktyagi May 29 '19 at 13:09

0 Answers0