Re: Strange diagnostic

[Kevin Buhr <buhr@telus.net>]

"Nikita V. Youshchenko" <yoush@cs.msu.su> writes:
> 
> And why error message when a user attempts to run it is so strange?
> Is that normal, or it should be filed as bug reports?

The error message is strange because Bash prints a strange error
message.  Specifically, if the execve(2) system call fails, Bash
checks if the file starts with "#!".  If it does, it
prints an error message of the form:

        bash: <scriptname>: </name/of/interp>:
                bad interpreter: <Text for the error>

instead of just:

        bash: <scriptname>: <Text for the error>

The wording is bad.  However, it's meant to remind the user that an
interpreter is involved and might be the source of the problem.  I
imagine the most common mistake is to create a script with a mistyped
interpreter name, like:

        #!/bin/sj
        echo do something

Getting the message:

        bash: myscript: No such file or directory

is baffling.  But,

        bash: myscript: /bin/sj: bad interpreter: No such file or directory

makes the source of the problem clearer.

A better error message might be:

        bash: myscript (using interpreter /bin/sj): No such file or directory

You can try filing a bug on it if you'd like.  It might find its way upstream.

-- 
Kevin <buhr@telus.net>