Shell Programming and Scripting

Hello,
i would like to alias aptitude install for sudo aptitude install, is it possible, and how ?
i read the man alias page, but i think i have to use something with \ or { but i don't know exactly what.

I don't know if it's possible to do exactly what you want but with aliases you can get close. If you setup the alias:

Code:

alias sapt='sudo aptitude'

you can then just run sapt install <blah>. You probably knew this but you didn't mention it so I did

You could even get fancier if you're doing installs all the time and do:

Code:

alias sapti='sudo aptitude install'

Then just run sapti <blah>

MG

For posix-sh users (bash, ksh, ...):

If you like to make own "alias" with arguments, do lot of commands, ... and so on, function works same way.
Put function to the profile file or make own ex. setup file. After that you can use function like alias.

example file setup:

Code:

# using src:
#  src some
#  src
src()
{
     cd /xx/yy/src/$*
}

# you can overwrite
rm()
{
   echo "not today"
}
# or something like
mv()
{
    /bin/mv -i  $*
}

include setup to the current process, using command line or in add calling to the profile file.

Code:

.  $HOME/setup

and try ex. rm or mv.

If you have already alias rm and mv, then result is maybe something else, because shell handle first alias. Later builtin, function and using PATH.

An alias is processed by the shell and how it works depends on which shell is in use. mglenney assumes everyone uses csh ot tcsh. And kshji assumes everyone use bash or ksh.