$ echo $PATH /usr/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/dt/bin:/home/USER/bin $
a truss of "bash -ls" shows it stat'ing '-bash' in each of the directories in PATH... 11933: stat64("/usr/bin/-bash", 0xFFBFEBE8) Err#2 ENOENT 11933: stat64("/usr/sbin/-bash", 0xFFBFEBE8) Err#2 ENOENT 11933: stat64("/usr/dt/bin/-bash", 0xFFBFEBE8) Err#2 ENOENT 11933: stat64("/home/USER/bin/-bash", 0xFFBFEBE8) Err#2 ENOENT Why does bash do all these 'stat()' system calls? We tried providing an executable '-bash' at one of the locations but it didn't appear to have any effect. If one of the directories in the PATH is on an NFS server that is 'down' then bash hangs - which disables a shell which would otherwise be usable. +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Martin Wheatley | Voice : +44-(0)1235-464784 | | CODAS & IT Department | FAX : +44-(0)1235-464404 | | Culham Centre for Fusion Energy | E-mail : martin.wheat...@ccfe.ac.uk | | Culham Science Centre |-------------------------------------| | Abingdon, Oxfordshire | | | OX14 3DB | | | United Kingdom | WWW.CCFE.AC.UK | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+