Open-source Languages & Tools for z/OS

Hi,

When executing a shell script in the bash shell on USS, we found that the input from a read statement in the script returns nothing, even if the user has input some text.

Script excerpt
#!/bin/env bash
…
echo -n "Please provide the application mnemonic and press [ENTER]: "
read appMnemonic

appMnemonic=$(echo “$appMnemonic” | tr ‘[:upper:]’ ‘[:lower:]’)
echo “$appMnemonic”

The appMnemonic variable in this script is just empty when the echo prints even if the user has typed in an alphanumeric value. We noticed that this was happening when the script is executed from the bash shell, works fine in standard shell. Because of this on of our directories was entirely clobbered.

bash-4.3$ bash -version
GNU bash, version 4.3.46(51)-release (i370-ibm-openedition)
Copyright © 2013 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html

Hi Patrick,

Thanks for reporting. We are not able to reproduce the issue, this script works properly on our system. We will investigate the problem.

Which z/OS version do you use?
Also run these command immediately after you have logged in USS:

ps
env | sort

Hi Tatyana,

Following is the output of your commands

    bash-4.3$ ps
    PID TTY       TIME CMD
    164 ttyp0001  0:00 /usr/lpp/git/bin/bash
    16777631 ttyp0001  0:00 /bin/sh
    531 ttyp0001  0:00 /bin/ps

bash-4.3$ env | sort
CLASSPATH=:/usr/lpp/suf/classes
GIT_EXEC_PATH=/usr/lpp/git/libexec/git-core
GIT_SHELL=/usr/lpp/git/bin/bash
GIT_TEMPLATE_DIR=/usr/lpp/git/share/git-core/templates
HOME=/u/automount/zk005
JAVA_HOME=/usr/lpp/java/IBM/
LANG=C
LIBPATH=/usr/lpp/git/lib/perl5/5.24.0/os390/CORE:/lib:/usr/lib:.
LOGNAME=ZK005
MAIL=/usr/mail/ZK005
MANPATH=/usr/man/%L:/usr/lpp/git/man
NLSPATH=/usr/lib/nls/msg/%L/%N
PATH=/usr/lpp/git/bin:/bin:/usr/lpp/java/IBM/bin:.
PERL5LIB=/usr/lpp/git/lib/perl5:
PWD=/u/automount/zk005
SHELL=/bin/sh
SHLVL=1
SSH_TTY=/dev/ttyp0001
STEPLIB=SYS1.CEE.SCEERUN
TERM=xterm
TZ=EST5EDT
USER=ZK005
_=/bin/env
_BPXK_AUTOCVT=ON
_C89_CLIB_PREFIX=SYS1
_C89_PLIB_PREFIX=SYS1.CEE
_CC_CLIB_PREFIX=SYS1
_CC_PLIB_PREFIX=SYS1.CEE
_CEE_RUNOPTS=FILETAG(AUTOCVT,AUTOTAG) POSIX(ON)
_CXX_CLIB_PREFIX=SYS1
_CXX_PLIB_PREFIX=SYS1.CEE
_TAG_REDIR_ERR=txt
_TAG_REDIR_IN=txt
_TAG_REDIR_OUT=txt

I also noticed that this was happening when we ran the script sourced, for example:
. testScript.sh
rather than
sh testScript.sh.

Could it be that this is works as designed.

On my Linux system running your script as x.sh I get:

% ./x.sh  
Please provide the application mnemonic and press [ENTER]: 123
““123””
% /tmp % . ./x.sh 
Please provide the application mnemonic and press [ENTER]: 123
./x.sh:6: no matches found: ‘[:upper:]’
“”

No I’m wrong. It works also when sourced, at least if the text I enter contains an upper case letter.

On z/OS UNIX both work as well even if I enter digits only:

$. ./x.sh
Please provide the application mnemonic and press [ENTER]: 123
““123””

z/OS bash is:

$bash --version
GNU bash, version 4.2.53(2)-release (i370-ibm-openedition)
Copyright (C) 2011 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later <http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>

This is free software; you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

Hi Manfred,

Does the issue occur if all lowercase characters are entered?

$./x.sh
Please provide the application mnemonic and press [ENTER]: abc
““abc””
$. ./x.sh
Please provide the application mnemonic and press [ENTER]: abc
““abc””

Note, as shown before, that I use an older bash. Perhaps issues crept into the new version.

Hi Patrick,

I write it again, we are not able to reproduce this issue. This is environment-dependent problem. And we are working on the elucidation of the causes.

Ticket for internal use