Help creating an alias

[Moltke]

Hi everyone! Hope you're ll having a nice life!

First, sorry if this isn't the right place to post this. I have a bunch of aliases, I know how to create an alias. Thing is, I've been trying to have an alias for

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apt-cache search pkg_name | sort | less

I tried different ones but none work as expected. For example, I tried

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alias cearch="apt-cache search $2 | sort | less"

Where $2 is pkg_name is this ok? This returns "no such pkg or dir" ... hmmm ... I tried a few other variants but can't remember now, however, none of them work as expected. Is there a way to get it done? It can be a function too, which I also tried with the same results: don't work. Thanks in advance for your answers.

[Dai_trying]

create a bash script (called "cearch" for your example) and place it in /usr/local/bin/ and it will work.

example bash script

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#!/bin/bash
apt-cache search $1 | sort | less

P.s. dont forget to make it executable (chmod +x)

[Moltke]

create a bash script (called "cearch" for your example) and place it in /usr/local/bin/ and it will work.

example bash script

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#!/bin/bash
apt-cache search $1 | sort | less

P.s. dont forget to make it executable (chmod +x)

Thanks, that works. Do you know why it works as a script but not as a bash function or alias? If I used that as an alias or function, which I did, I get this error "need to provide at least one search parm", and using $2 instead of $1 search the entire cache not only pkg_name, however, the script just works.

EDIT: If I place the script in /usr/local/bin, it doesn't work.

[peter_irich]

Write all commands in the script with full path, for example, not apt-cache but /usr/bin/apt-cache.
All commands except builtin, for example, cd is the builtin command.

Peter.

[Moltke]

Write all commands in the script with full path, for example, not apt-cache but /usr/bin/apt-cache.
All commands except builtin, for example, cd is the builtin command.

Peter.

Thanks for the reply. I followed your suggestion, but it doesn't work if I move the script to /usr/local/bin, get the same errors, it does work if run from $HOME.

[peter_irich]

I don't know. On my PC this script with full pathes works from /usr/local/bin.

Peter.

[Dai_trying]

Thanks, that works. Do you know why it works as a script but not as a bash function or alias?

I think it is either something to do with passing a parameter or a problem with pipes, not too sure really, either way it's just much easier (IMO) to throw a script in a local bin. I usually have one in my $HOME folder that I use for personal scripts.

EDIT: If I place the script in /usr/local/bin, it doesn't work.

I am guessing this would be a problem with the way you have your $PATH configured (or not as the case may be), but using the full path to the command like @peter_irich suggested should solve that for you. You could check (and edit if needed) your $PATH to see where the most suitable place for your personal scripts would be if you don't want to use full paths in them.

[Moltke]

I usually have one in my $HOME folder that I use for personal scripts.

So do I and placing the script in $HOME/bin does work, as long as I don't remove the .sh extension, if I do, then I get the "one parm" error, otherwise running

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cearch.sh pkg_name

works as expected.

[Dai_trying]

placing the script in $HOME/bin does work, as long as I don't remove the .sh extension, if I do, then I get the "one parm" error, otherwise running

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cearch.sh pkg_name

works as expected.

I can't see why you get any error by changing the name of the file from cearch to cearch.sh, when I tested it I didn't use any extension as I figured that a script which is going to be used as a command shouldn't really have one (IMO), thinking as I type, I guess it is because still have the alias in force and it is being called first.

[Moltke]

placing the script in $HOME/bin does work, as long as I don't remove the .sh extension, if I do, then I get the "one parm" error, otherwise running

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cearch.sh pkg_name

works as expected.

I can't see why you get any error by changing the name of the file from cearch to cearch.sh, when I tested it I didn't use any extension as I figured that a script which is going to be used as a command shouldn't really have one (IMO), thinking as I type, I guess it is because still have the alias in force and it is being called first.

I tried something; re-wrote the script but this time I didn't add the .sh extension, place it in $HOME/bin, and now it works. It occurred to me that might work since I have a few scripts in there with no .sh extension and they all work.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

I tried different ones but none work as expected. For example, I tried

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alias cearch="apt-cache search $2 | sort | less"

Where $2 is pkg_name is this ok?

No, a positional parameter doesn't work with an alias.

Try a function instead:

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cearch() {
   apt-cache search "$@" | sort | less
}

Note also that the script contains no bashisms so a POSIX sh shebang (ie, #!/bin/sh) should probably be preferred because it's lighter, faster and less buggy than bash. Not particularly important for such a simple wrapper but the principle stands nevertheless.

[peter_irich]

Or by alias call the script, for example, in my .bashrc

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alias dict="/usr/local/bin/dict_p"

and dict_p is

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/usr/bin/dict $1 | /usr/bin/less -n

Peter.

[shep]

If you have a series of scripts, I find YAD to be very helpful in organizing the scripts:
https://packages.debian.org/buster/yad

Example that organizes abook folders:
http://daemonforums.org/showpost.php?p= ... ostcount=4

Here is another one that organizes Weather products from my local Airport
http://daemonforums.org/showpost.php?p= ... ostcount=6