Machine: x86_64 OS: linux-gnu Compiler: gcc Compilation CFLAGS: -DPROGRAM='bash' -DCONF_HOSTTYPE='x86_64' -DCONF_OSTYPE='linux-gnu' -DCONF_MACHTYPE='x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu' -DCONF_VENDOR='unknown' -DLOCALEDIR='/usr/share/locale' -DPACKAGE='bash' -DSHELL -DHAVE_CONFIG_H -I. -I. -I./include -I./lib -D_FORTIFY_SOURCE=2 -march=x86-64 -mtune=generic -O2 -pipe -fstack-protector-strong -DDEFAULT_PATH_VALUE='/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin' -DSTANDARD_UTILS_PATH='/usr/bin' -DSYS_BASHRC='/etc/bash.bashrc' -DSYS_BASH_LOGOUT='/etc/bash.bash_logout' -Wno-parentheses -Wno-format-security Machine Type: x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu
Bash Version: 4.4 Patch Level: 5 Release Status: release Description: Performing variable indirection using an empty value causes an error. It didn't in Bash 4.3. Repeat-By: $ reference=1 $ echo ${!indirect} #variable indirection using an unset variable $ indirect=reference $ echo ${!indirect} #variable indirection to a variable name 1 $ indirect= $ echo ${!indirect} #variable indirection using an empty variable -bash: : bad substitution The expected behavior is that the result of an indirection be the same whether the indirect variable is empty or unset.