How to run bash script from anywhere?

Question

The problem is that I wrote a bash script that handle files. If I add this script to bashrc I can't find the file. I could write the absolute path but I would like to compress the directory and send it to others. It could be so bad if no one could use my script because the path. The project looks like: DIR A

Script
ReadMe
DIR B
- Python Script
- File

The Script call the Python script and the Python script read from the File. I would like to call the Script as an enviroment variable from anywhere but I can't because it can't find the Python script and the file. Is there a way to call the script like it is in the directory next to DIR B? Like a realpath or I don't know.

If you add the bash script to path, you will most likely need to use an absolute path to the Python file. Then your Python file needs some way of locating your "`file`". This can be done in multiple ways. Is your file going to be in the same directory as the Python script? — Freddy Mcloughlan, Jun 04 '22 at 07:40
if its a bash script i dont think you can `source some_file_on_path.sh` — Joran Beasley, Jun 04 '22 at 07:45
The issue of finding a program's path from within itself comes up often. Most of the answers that you will find on Stackoverflow and elsewhere are broken in one way or another. The best source of good options, and advice is [BashFAQ/028 (How do I determine the location of my script? ...)](https://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashFAQ/028). — pjh, Jun 04 '22 at 13:16

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Jun 04 '22 at 08:35

I think I've solved the problem. It's not so elegant, but it works. I don't want to use "cd" because I think it's a little bit ugly to cd to folders cd back... In the bash script I use the dirname $0 to get the script path and concatenate with the other path of files like:

path=`dirname $0`
scriptpath="$path/dirB/python.py"
filepath="$path/dirB/file"

I gave the $filepath to the python script as an argument and it works like: (in the script call python function)

python3 $scriptpath $filepath $@

And I can read the file in the Python script like:

f = open(sys.argv[1], "r")

Thank you for all the answers! Have a beautiful day!

There are several things wrong with `` path=`dirname $0` ``. [Shellcheck](https://www.shellcheck.net/) finds some of them. See [BashFAQ/028 (How do I determine the location of my script? ...)](https://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashFAQ/028) for details of [Why $0 is NOT an option](https://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashFAQ/028#Why_.240_is_NOT_an_option), and what are good options. — pjh, Jun 04 '22 at 13:24

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Jun 04 '22 at 08:18

If the bash-script is sourced, it is always

scriptname=$(realpath "$BASH_SOURCE")

Therefore, the directory of the sourced bash-script is always

dir=$(dirname "$scriptname")

A simple

cd "$dir"

before calling the python script would do the trick.

Note, that if you do not source the script, "$BASH_SOURCE" will be empty. You can test for this to make sure that the script is sourced:

if [ "$BASH_SOURCE" = "" ] ; then
    echo "This script should be sourced, not executed"
fi

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Jun 04 '22 at 07:43

chmod +x my_script.sh # make it executable
# create a link in your bin folder
sudo ln -s /usr/local/bin/my_script.sh $(pwd)/my_script.bat

youll want to make sure your script starts with the shebang

#! /bin/bash

finally invoke it as just

$ my_script.sh  some arguments 5

instead of

$ . my_script.sh

or

$ source my_script.sh

you can create an install method to do all of these steps for other users of your program ...

but this sounds sort of like an x/y problem (ie this does what your question asks, but maybe doesnt solve your underlying problem)

How to run bash script from anywhere?

3 Answers3