Well, first off: you shouldn't do that. The correct syntax is:

Code:

identifier=content
export identifier

and NOT:

Code:

export identifier=content

I know, this is frequently done, which still doesn't make it correct. Notice, btw., that repeatedly exporting variables is not necessary. The oftenly seen:

Code:

x=ABC
export x
x=DEF
export x
x=GHI
export x

can be written to the same effect as:

Code:

x=ABC
export x
x=DEF
x=GHI

A variable is either exported (inherited by an eventual child process) or not, but once it is it is always exported with the current value.

Another thing is proper quoting. You write:

Code:

export PATH=$PATH:/local/mnt:/usr/sbin

and the mentioned combination of "export" and a declaration notwithstanding: what will happen if $PATH" contains white space? To protect your script from breaking in such a case always protect your variables:

Code:

PATH="${PATH}:/local/mnt:/usr/sbin"

A last thing: scripts should ALWAYS be written in a way so that they are indifferent to the place where they are started from. This means, first and foremost, you should always use absolute pathes to address files:

WRONG:

Code:

inputfile="input.file"
outputfile="output.file"

grep 'something' "$inputfile" | while read line ; do
     do_something "$line"
done > "$outputfile"

This will work or not, depending on which directory the script was started from. Inserting a "cd /some/where" in the first line might help but is bad style (and in the long run dangerous).

CORRECT:

Code:

workdir="/some/where"
inputfile="${workdir}/input.file"
outputfile="${workdir}output.file"

grep 'something' "$inputfile" | while read line ; do
     do_something "$line"
done > "$outputfile"

The variables "$inputfile" and "$outputfile" contain now absolute pathes and the script will work regardless from where it is called from.

One very last thing: DGPickett is correct! If your first line looks like:

Code:

#! /path/to/your/bash

Then the executable "/path/to/your/bash" is used to run the script, not any other executable at all. Even if there is another (version of) bash installed somewhere (like in "/usr/bin" or whereever) it will not be used, but exactly the specified (executable) file. This is the better solution to use because you specify inside the script by which executable it should be run, not outside of it (where it could be changed without changing the script itself)!

I hope this helps.

bakunin