minimal/do: Do not fail with bash 5.3 #47
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When running "make test" with bash 5.3, it fails with:
minimal/do: line 358: cd: null directory
./do: minimal/do test failed
make: *** [Makefile:10: test] Error 42
The reason is that bash 5.3 implements the latest version of the POSIX
standard, which requires that "cd" with an empty string should fail.
Specifically, "If directory is an empty string, cd shall write a
diagnostic message to standard error and exit with non-zero status."
[1]. This is documented at [2].
Fix that by substituting an empty string with ".", which is already
being done at other places in the that script.
[1]: https://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/9799919799/utilities/cd.html
[2]: https://cgit.git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/bash.git/tree/CHANGES?h=bash-5.3#n119.
wentasah
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Jul 30, 2025
The failure manifests as:
minimal/do: line 358: cd: null directory
In bash 5.3, command "cd ''" fails, while in the previous bash version
it succeeds and no directory is changed. In the fix, we replace empty
"$dodir" with ".".
Context:
- apenwarr/redo#47
- https://cgit.git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/bash.git/tree/CHANGES?h=bash-5.3#n119.
- https://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-bash/2025-07/msg00152.html
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When running
make testwith bash 5.3, it fails with:The simplest way to reproduce the problem seems to be by running
bash ./minimal/do test.The reason is that bash 5.3 implements the latest version of the POSIX standard, which requires that "cd" with an empty string should fail. Specifically, "If directory is an empty string, cd shall write a diagnostic message to standard error and exit with non-zero status." 1. This is documented at 2.
Fix that by substituting an empty string with ".", which is already being done at other places in the that script.