bash scripts: using ~<username>

[Angel Tsankov]

When typed at the bash prompt, ~<username> is expanded to the
home directory of the specified user. Whay cannot I use this
construct in scripts? Or, if I can, then how?

[Dances With Crows]

["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.linux.misc.]

When typed at the bash prompt, ~<username> is expanded to the home
directory of the specified user. [Why can'] I use this construct in
scripts? Or, if I can, then how?

Works for me:

clairissa:~$ cat temp.sh
#!/bin/bash
cd ~guest
pwd
clairissa:~$ ./temp.sh
/home/guest

...maybe you'd better post an example of how it doesn't work for you,
with the exact command that's getting executed. Remember, when
debugging shell scripts, "set -x" can give you a whole lot of
information.

[Michal Nazarewicz]

When typed at the bash prompt, ~<username> is expanded to the home
directory of the specified user. Whay cannot I use this construct in
scripts? Or, if I can, then how?

Dunno what you ask really, but maybe that's what you want:

#v+
FOO_HOME="$(echo ~foo)"
#v-

or maybe even:

#v+
homedir () { eval echo "~$1"; }
FOO_HOME="$(homedir foo)"
#v-

In general, as was noted already, you can use things like:

#v+
cd ~foo
mv file ~bar/file
# ... and so on
#v-

[Chris F.A. Johnson]

Post by Angel Tsankov
When typed at the bash prompt, ~<username> is expanded to the
home directory of the specified user. Whay cannot I use this
construct in scripts? Or, if I can, then how?

dir=~user

Not:

dir="~user"

[Whoever]

When typed at the bash prompt, ~<username> is expanded to the home directory
of the specified user. Whay cannot I use this construct in scripts? Or, if I
can, then how?

Why not use $HOME instead?

[Chris F.A. Johnson]

Post by Whoever

When typed at the bash prompt, ~<username> is expanded to the home directory
of the specified user. Whay cannot I use this construct in scripts? Or, if I
can, then how?

Why not use $HOME instead?

Because that's not the same. $HOME is one's own home directory;
~user is user's home directory.

[Bill Marcum]

["Followup-To:" header set to comp.os.linux.misc.]
On Sun, 17 Sep 2006 19:16:26 -0700, Whoever

Post by Whoever

When typed at the bash prompt, ~<username> is expanded to the home directory
of the specified user. Whay cannot I use this construct in scripts? Or, if I
can, then how?

Why not use $HOME instead?

$HOME is your own home directory. If you want to refer to another
user's home directory, you use ~username.