use single quotes
echo 'This is a **test** see '
single quotes take the test you pass as verbatim. While double quoted strings are interpreted by bash, for instance $VAR
would indicate a variable, $(..)
would execute a command and insert the stdout, and [...]
are treated as boolean evaluator and !
as NOT, and so on. From the bash manual:
Enclosing characters in double quotes preserves the literal value of all characters within the quotes, with the exception of $, , \, and, when history expansion is enabled, !. The characters $ and
retain their special meaning withindouble quotes. The backslash retains its special meaning only when followed by one of the following characters: $, `, ", \, or . A double quote may be quoted within double quotes by preceding it with a backslash. If enabled, history expansion will be performed unless an ! appearing in double quotes is escaped using a backslash. The backslash preceding the ! is not removed.