Bash function hangs while command run perfectly without function

Question

Following function hangs :

ssh() {
    local RESULTS;
    RESULTS=$(ssh $USERNAME@$SERVER $SSH_COMMAND1);
    echo $RESULTS;
}

ssh;

while if i run following commands they work fine :

    RESULTS=$(ssh $USERNAME@$SERVER $SSH_COMMAND1);
    echo $RESULTS;

Can someone please guide me to the right direction of looking for error?

score 4 · Accepted Answer · answered Jul 03 '14 at 19:19

4

You have a recursive error. You define a function called 'ssh' then call the same function in your function. This results in a recursive loop.

Specify the absolute path to the ssh binary and that should fix it.

answered Jul 03 '14 at 19:19

Matthew Ife

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Thanks a lot. I named the function same as the command :P – Amber Jul 03 '14 at 19:24

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 13 '21 at 14:55

I just made the same mistake. I think you can also use the command command to run a command (the binary itself) that has the same name as the function, in order to avoid hardcoding the path to the binary:

ssh() {
    local RESULTS;
    RESULTS=$(command ssh $USERNAME@$SERVER $SSH_COMMAND1);
    echo $RESULTS;
}

Though for what you're doing here I do recommend naming the function differently; ssh is a very common command that no one would expect to behave this way!

Bash function hangs while command run perfectly without function

2 Answers2