jim wrote: > > Netscape doesn't include any instructions for setting up helper > apps. w/ unix. For example, I want to run VRML directly from > netscape. Great! So, I go to preferences/Navigator/Applications > and create a new mime-type called x-world/x-vrml. I then tell it that > this is for extension wrl. I tell it to execute the shell string > /usr/local/bin/vrweb -URL '%u' -remote %s. This is perfect as far > as I'm concerned. HOWEVER, what netscape does is truly twisted. > Instead of just issuing this command string, it genererates > ((/usr/local/bin/vrweb -URL 'http:/website.com/*.wrl' -remote > /tmp/MO*.wrl); rm /tmp/MO*.wrl)& and issues that. > > Now this appears to be fine, however, it doesn't execute. Netscape > complains: > > sh: -c: line 1: missing closing ')' for arithmetic expression > sh: -c: line 1: syntax error near unexpected token `;' > sh: -c: line 1: ((<command line here>); rm /tmp/MO*.wrl)& > > So to humor netscape, I add an extra ')' at the end of my incantation > which gets rid of errors 1 and 2 BUT replaces them with an error > which indicates that the & is too close to the ')' and my shell is > confused. > > WHAT the HELL is going on here??? When they say unsupported, I > guess they mean truly untested by human hands. I'm going to start > downloading .wrl files via amaya and I may just go to using that > on a permanent basis. > > But if anyone can tell what the heck gives with this stuff, I'd > be glad to fix my end :) >
This is actually a bash-2.0 bug. If you try: sh -c "((pwd);pwd)" you'll see the same errors. But, sh -c "( (pwd);pwd)" works well. Bash incorrectly considers (( to be an arithmetic expression introducer when really, it's $((. This is fixed in bash-2.01 which has not yet been debianized. You can bash-2.01 from /pub/gnu at your favorite mirror. This bug has already been documented. See http://www.debian.org/Bugs/db/10598.html --Bob -- TO UNSUBSCRIBE FROM THIS MAILING LIST: e-mail the word "unsubscribe" to [EMAIL PROTECTED] . Trouble? e-mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] .
