Why can I echo an environment variable but not use it to cd or ls?

Question

How come I can echo the $RUBYPATH variable:

[grant@rails-box app]$ echo $RUBYPATH
/opt/rubies/ruby-2.3.0

And ls that directory:

[grant@rails-box app]$ ls /opt/rubies/ruby-2.3.0
bin  include  lib  share

But I can't ls using the variable?

[grant@rails-box app]$ ls $RUBYPATH
: No such file or directoryes/ruby-2.3.0

Given that the error message appears garbled, the variable may have embedded unprintable characters: `echo $RUBYPATH | cat -vet` — bishop, Aug 23 '16 at 16:58
Specifically, the value of `RUBYPATH` ends with a carriage return. You need to fix this where `RUBYPATH` is set. Likely, you are reading from a file that uses DOS line endings. — chepner, Aug 23 '16 at 17:22
And extending the advice, run `dos2unix` on your ~/.bashrc (or whatever file declares that variable). — glenn jackman, Aug 23 '16 at 17:42
Absolutely right. I had ^M line endings in there... Thanks windows. — gh4x, Aug 24 '16 at 14:44

score 3 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:09

3

Bishop is right: try

$ echo $RUBYPATH | cat -v # or hexdump -C

edited May 23 '17 at 12:09

Community

answered Aug 23 '16 at 17:15

James K. Lowden

1 Answers1