Hi,

I am writing a bash script. At the beginning of the script there is a user defined variable which is a directory in which processed data will be moved. When running the script I would like to immediately make sure that the directory exists, and if not the script will error. The following code should do that:

OUTDIR='/Users/msb65/test_data'

if [ -d $OUT_DIR ]; then
echo '- OUT_DIR exists'
else
echo; echo; echo 'ERROR: OUT_DIR does not exist'
exit 1
fi

However, this test does NOT seem to be case sensitive. How can I make it so it is? Thanks.

Mike

First off [[ -d dirname ]] is case sensitive. Either there is another directory which matches or your script is doing something you do not want it to do in this case.

Is that code above identical to what is failing for you?

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the reply. I notice that you are using double brackets while I am using single. How should that change the behavior?

Mike

You code works for me, and IS case sensitive:

# cat check
if [ -d $1 ]; then
echo '- OUT_DIR exists'
else
echo; echo; echo 'ERROR: OUT_DIR does not exist'
exit 1
fi

# ll
total 8
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 107 Nov 24 12:56 check

# sh check Test


ERROR: OUT_DIR does not exist

# mkdir Test

# ll
total 16
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root  107 Nov 24 12:56 check
drwxr-xr-x 2 root root 4096 Nov 24 12:57 Test

# sh check Test

- OUT_DIR exists
# sh check test


ERROR: OUT_DIR does not exist
 #

Hi Ikon,

That is interesting that similar code appears to be working differently on our two systems. I am using a Mac running Leopard. I wonder if there are nuances between our bash? On my system there is the directory: /Users/msb65/test_data/Olive

However, the test doesnt error when I substitute a lowercase "o" on "Olive":

$ dir='/Users/msb65/test_data/Olive'
$ if [ -d $dir ]; then echo hello; fi
hello

dir='/Users/msb65/test_data/olive'
$ if [ -d $dir ]; then echo hello; fi
hello

Why is this?

Mike

Older file systems of OS X are not case sensitive. Google on leopard case sensitive file system.