UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

I know that pushd/popd are built into csh, but I'm trying to run a set of 3rd party make files that use sh.

My problem is that sh simply squawks that pushd and popd are not found, then the make dies due to the error.

I've searched the entire system, and they are indeed missing. Evidently SGI forgot about sh needing them, and must have yanked them with this release of IRIX(6.5.11m).

I tried the SGI web site and I cannot locate them. I also tried contacting SGI and they are less than helpful.

I'm looking for the source for those 2 utilities so that I can compile and install them. It doesn't have to be the exact source, just a close enough approximation to do a simple 'pushd <dir>'; <series of commands>; popd. I thought I'd ask if anyone had the source available before I go and try to write them from scratch.

Thanks for any assistance you can offer!!!

As a stop gap solution, you can download a demo version of the Hamilton C shell which, according to their site, is a complete recreation of the UNIX c shell but with added utilities such as popd, and pushd. Hamilton C Shell Link The full version is 350 bucks to buy

This does not make sense. pushd and popd must be built into the shell to be of any real use. They must be builtins for the same reason that cd must be a builtin. Of course, posix senselessly mandates an external version of "cd", so most verdors have that, but the only examples of its use are highly contrived.

Depending on which version of sh you have, you may have one or more of the two favors of functions available. If so, pushd and popd can probably be implemented as functions, but the code for the functions would be in your script

This is a snap in ksh, and the korn shell book gives an implemention.

Are you sure that the make files really want to use sh? Try this:
SHELL=/usr/bin/csh make

Thanks for the idea. I forgot that when a process terminates, that it's context gets lost, so it doesn't matter if it did a 'cd' or not.

It's really surprising to me that the pushd and popd commands aren't working in sh.

I have tried to create the following aliass

$ alias pushd=cd
$ alias popd="cd -"

but these only work if I interactively type in the commands after starting sh

running make, starts a new sh, and then the aliases are gone.

I tried adding these to .profile but it does not seem to run that file. I put an
echo "Hi from .profile"
into the .profile and I dont' get that either.

The man sh page does not show any other files than
$HOME/.profile
being used by sh, but I don't see when that one gets used. Maybe it's used at login time if sh happens to be your login shell, but my login shell is tcsh