1394661620440271000/1000000: No such file or directory

Question

I am running this command in my shell script to get time in milliseconds:

    START=`$(date +%s%N)/1000000`

However I keep getting the error:

   1394661620440271000/1000000: No such file or directory

I tried to change the code by adding brackets, extra dollar signs, but I keep getting different kinds of errors. How can I fix the code? Could anyone help with that?

change the backticks to double quotes. You'll also need to use some kind of evaluator to do the division. — Judge Mental, Mar 12 '14 at 22:12
Backticks mean "execute the stuff inside as a command". `1394661620440271000/1000000` doesn't mean "do division", it means "execute the `1394661620440271000/1000000` file". — Oliver Charlesworth, Mar 12 '14 at 22:12
fastest route to understanding errors like this is to turn on shell debug/trace feature with `set -vx` and turn it back off with `set +vx`. Wrap your problem line with those, and you'll at least be asking a new level of question. try `ST=$(( $(date +%s%N) / 1000000))` . Good luck. — shellter, Mar 12 '14 at 22:15

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 12 '14 at 22:14

2

assuming that you're using bash:

START=$(( $(date '+%s%N') / 1000000 ))

you can't just say / on the command line to divide numbers. (( ... )) does arithmetic evaluation in bash.

answered Mar 12 '14 at 22:14

user3392484

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Come on, you ninjad me by 12 seconds... Too bad. You also have an explination, so +1. – PlasmaPower Mar 12 '14 at 22:15
is there a way to get a dot between seconds and milliseconds? e.g. if it is 14160 in milliseconds, i'd get an output of 14.160? – user3344382 Mar 12 '14 at 22:46
there is if you use glenn jackman's method: use date +%s.%N then chop off the last six characters. – user3392484 Mar 12 '14 at 22:48
1

`$(( ... ))` is part of the POSIX specification, not a `bash`ism. – chepner Mar 13 '14 at 03:28

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 12 '14 at 22:14

2

I think you want the following:

START=$(($(date +%s%N)/1000000))

answered Mar 12 '14 at 22:14

PlasmaPower

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score 1 · Answer 3 · answered Mar 12 '14 at 22:29

1

You could also use plain string manipulation:

$ start=$(date '+%s%N')
$ echo $start
1394663274979099354
$ echo ${start:0:-6}
1394663274979

answered Mar 12 '14 at 22:29

glenn jackman

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score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Mar 13 '14 at 03:36

0

The printf statement can round a value to the nearest millisecond:

printf "%0.3f\n" $(date +%s.%N)

answered Mar 13 '14 at 03:36

chepner

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1394661620440271000/1000000: No such file or directory

4 Answers4