alias

[jpeters]

Sorry if I didn't quite get some of the previous discussions about this. Where do we put an alias so it works from the terminal, since .ashrc and .profile don't work.  I tried creating a .bashrc file and put it there, but just got error messages. 

[^thehatsrule^]

It's in .ashrc
(see changelogs for version specifics)

[jpeters]

It's in .ashrc
(see changelogs for version specifics)

I saw:
« on: February 09, 2009, 07:44:35 AM »    

* Added .ashrc and moved alias definitions

So I write in .ashrc under the other alias's

Code: [Select]

alias myPath='/path/dir'
Isn't this supposed to work?

[^thehatsrule^: fixed whitespace]

[curaga]

Actually aliases are only for commands, ie the first word on a line. It's this way in bash too, I just tested:

alias moi="hei"
echo moi
moi

You could put that into a variable, for example

export myPath="/path/dir"

and then it will work in commands such as "cd $myPath"

edited to add $ sign

[jpeters]

none of that works for some reason on my setup. I saved the alias in .ashrc, rebooted the desktop. "Echo moi gives me "moi".  Maybe you need to be in a different shell?

[curaga]

Sorry, I forgot the $ sign from the variable. Post edited.

[jpeters]

Sorry, I forgot the $ sign from the variable. Post edited.

geez.....I know how to export a variable.  What's that got to do with adding an alias to .ashrc?

[curaga]

It's the point that aliases are only for commands, and this applies to bash just as to ash.
Meaning you can't use an alias to replace some other part than the command.

[jpeters]

...again, it doesn't work for anything.  Where's chsh? Presently the terminal is using sh. I added /bin/bash
to /etc/shells, but don't know how to switch shells without chsh. 

[curaga]

OK, seems I misunderstood you. To change your shell edit /etc/passwd for your user.

[jpeters]

I added bash on all lines with /sh, rebooted desktop, and aterm loads in /sh.

Edit.  Let's forget this...I'll just add a simple link as a workaround.  Never knew adding an alias could
waste so much time.....

[jpeters]

I added a new username/group using bash shell and alias worked fine.   


Edit: From tc~$ changes to bash shell just by typing bash...then alias also works (with .bashrc).
Strangely, typing 'echo $SHELL' returns 'bin/sh' even when in bash shell.

Alias does not work from the ash shell.   

[mikshaw]

From tc~$ changes to bash shell just by typing bash...then alias also works (with .bashrc).
Strangely, typing 'echo $SHELL' returns 'bin/sh' even when in bash shell.

The SHELL variable stores your default shell, or more precisely your login shell.  If you are in ash and type "bash" to enter a Bash shell that does not change your login shell, so the SHELL variable is still /bin/sh
You need to change the shell in /etc/passwd, as curaga said, in order to change the SHELL variable (or set the SHELL variable explicitly).

[jpeters]

You need to change the shell in /etc/passwd, as curaga said, in order to change the SHELL variable (or set the SHELL variable explicitly).

I tried changing /sh to /bash in passwd, but it didn't seem to do anything. I had also read that when researching what chsh does.  I'll try it again.....    Meanwhile...what's up with .ashrc? I thought that was fixed after you last inquired about it. 

Edit: tried it again; didn't work. Maybe there's something else other than changing /sh to /bash that it needs.   

[^thehatsrule^]

aliases currently work under latest stable (1.2) with .ashrc if you are using the default busybox ash shell.  I am also thinking along the same lines of what curaga was saying earlier...

You can list them by running `alias` and try one, such as `ll` (a default preset in ashrc)