simple check to see if a folder exists

psyman · #1 (**permalink**) 09-26-2007

Hi, I have cobbled together a simple script to create a Windows folder in a bunch of home folders on a mac server using the following code.

Code:

for i in /Volumes/student_data/studenthomefolders/*
do
u=`echo $i | cut -d/ -f5`
//if [ -d $i/Windows ]
//then
//echo "Folder already exists for "$u" Skipping"
//else
echo "Making Windows Dir for "$u
mkdir $i/Windows
echo "Changing Ownership of Windows Directory for "$u
chown $u $i/Windows
echo "Setting Mode for Windows Folder for "$u
chmod 700 $i/Windows
done

The commented out part is my attempt to add a check to see if that folder already exists and to skip the creation and manipulation if it does but my scripting knowledge is limited and that code returns an error.

If I run the script after creating a new user it currently runs through all of them, fails to create the existing ones but still chmods and chowns them, while this is not a massive problem I would like a neater script, anyone point me in the right direction.

Preferably it would silently skip existing ones and just report the new creations.

Many thanks in advance

tomas · #2 (**permalink**) 09-26-2007

How about changing the logic to create a list of all directories that don't already have the Windows folder. Then use that list in your for loop to create them?

[MA]Flying_Meat · #3 (**permalink**) 09-26-2007

Code:

for i in /Volumes/student_data/studenthomefolders/*
do
    u=`echo $i | cut -d/ -f5`
    if [ ! -d $i/Windows ]; then
        echo "Making Windows Dir for "$u
        mkdir $i/Windows
        echo "Changing Ownership of Windows Directory for "$u
        chown $u $i/Windows
        echo "Setting Mode for Windows Folder for "$u
        chmod 700 $i/Windows
    fi
done

psyman · #4 (**permalink**) 09-27-2007

Many thanks, that diddn't quite work but altering it to

Code:

for i in /Volumes/student_data/studenthomefolders/*
do
    u=`echo $i | cut -d/ -f5`
    if [ -d $i/Windows ]; 
    then
    	echo $u" Windows folder exists" >/dev/null
    		else
        echo "Making Windows Dir for "$u
        mkdir $i/Windows
        echo "Changing Ownership of Windows Directory for "$u
        chown $u $i/Windows
        echo "Setting Mode for Windows Folder for "$u
        chmod 700 $i/Windows
    fi
done

worked like a charm, although I do get an error of too many arguments on line 4 but it still works so thanks. Is there a command that skips rather than a useless echo to null I can use?

[MA]Flying_Meat · #5 (**permalink**) 09-27-2007

that's sorta odd...

If the directory doesn't exist, then do the stuff.

Pretty simple test.

What OS/shell version are you using?

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