Shell function in .bashrc is not recognized

Question

I know this must be something silly but somehow I am stuck trying to create a shortcut (alias) for a shell function.

Here is my exact .bash_profile:


[[ -s "$HOME/.rvm/scripts/rvm" ]] && source "$HOME/.rvm/scripts/rvm" # Load RVM into a shell session *as a function*
alias l="ls -G"
r () {
   echo "iron_worker upload $1"
   echo "iron_worker queue $1"
}
export -f r

So I've added my function r() at the end of the file. Now when I type r in the shell, I still get error:

-bash: r: command not found

I have restarted terminal, shell window, and still no effect.

I am on Mac OS 10.8.5 if that matters.

EDIT.

After some searching found this question suggesting to use bash_profile instead of bashrc, which is now working! But ... what I get are the commands listed but not executed:

Dmitris-MacBook-Pro:~ dmitrizaitsev$ r
iron_worker upload 
iron_worker queue

This the normal command execution that I expected:

Dmitris-MacBook-Pro:~ dmitrizaitsev$ iron_worker upload
Please specify code package name or path to workerfile
usage: iron_worker upload CODE_PACKAGE_NAME_OR_PATH_TO_WORKERFILE [OPTIONS]
    -n, --name NAME                  override code name
    -c CONCURRENCY,                  max number of concurrent workers for this code package
        --max-concurrency
    -r, --retries NUM_RETRIES        max number of automatic retries on task fail
    -d RETRIES_DELAY,                delay between each automatic retry
        --retries-delay
        --worker-config CONFIG_FILE  config file for worker
    -h, --host HOST                  host name, eg: www.mydomain.com
    -a, --async                      don't wait for package build
        --full-remote-build          activate full remote build
        --config CONFIG              config file
    -e, --env ENV                    environment
        --project-id PROJECT_ID      project id
Dmitris-MacBook-Pro:~ dmitrizaitsev$

Instead I am only getting the command and nothing else. Any idea what is going on?

@MariusMatutiae The file is in my user directory `~/` and the content is as in the question. Is that what you mean? — Dmitri Zaitsev, Dec 16 '13 at 10:32
Try putting the def of r, and the export, in another, executable file, then execute that file. if it works, put the command that executes that file inside .bashrc — MariusMatutiae, Dec 16 '13 at 11:13
@MariusMatutiae Put into `.alias`, `chmod a+x`, executed, no effect — Dmitri Zaitsev, Dec 16 '13 at 11:31
To check that this works, you must use a different shell that you have started `after` you sourced your .bashrc, so that it can have inherited the niew function. In staler shells, this will not work. — MariusMatutiae, Dec 16 '13 at 11:38
It is working exactly as expected: you did not pass arguments to r, so none appears; you wanted r to print some stuff, it did. What exactly do you want it to do? — MariusMatutiae, Dec 16 '13 at 12:15

score 1 · Accepted Answer · edited Aug 13 '19 at 15:16

1

You should use, inside the same file, the line:

   export -f r

To check that this works, you must use a different shell that you have started after you sourced your .bashrc, so that it can have inherited the new function. In staler shells, this will not work.

Also, insert this in your ~/.bash_profile:

   if [ -f ~/.bashrc ]; then
       source ~/.bashrc
   fi

If you wish to run the program iron_worker, then the body of the function r should be:

   r () {
   iron_worker upload $1
   iron_worker queue $1
   }

Also, I suggest you provide the full pathname to the command iron_worker (i.e. substitute iron_worker with /path/to/iron_worker).

edited Aug 13 '19 at 15:16

Worthwelle

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answered Dec 16 '13 at 10:56

MariusMatutiae

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Added and still no effect. Also noticed that aliases like `alias l="ls"` inside the same file don't work either :( – Dmitri Zaitsev Dec 16 '13 at 11:04
Ok, I figured I need to `source .bashrc`, then it works. But it isn't automatically activated in the new shell unless I do it again :( Is there a way to source it automatically? – Dmitri Zaitsev Dec 16 '13 at 11:24
Somehow what I get is the opposite - it works in the same window after sourcing but not in a new one. – Dmitri Zaitsev Dec 16 '13 at 11:41
@DmitriZaitsev pls check my new edit. – MariusMatutiae Dec 16 '13 at 11:46
Please see my edit - maybe the function definition is a problem? – Dmitri Zaitsev Dec 16 '13 at 12:08
@DmitriZaitsev see my edit – MariusMatutiae Dec 16 '13 at 12:40
Now enjoying my function, really appreciate help. – Dmitri Zaitsev Dec 16 '13 at 13:38
@DmitriZaitsev It's a pleasure to be of some help. Cheers. – MariusMatutiae Dec 16 '13 at 13:40

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Dec 16 '13 at 11:33

Terminal and iTerm open new shells as login shells by default, so bash reads ~/.bash_profile but not ~/.bashrc.

You can either:

Use ~/.bash_profile instead of ~/.bashrc.
Add . ~/.bashrc to ~/.bash_profile.
Make new shells open with a non-login shell, by for example changing "Shells open with" from "Default login shell" to the command /bin/bash in Terminal.

I have done the last two. For example tmux and the shell mode in Emacs open new login shells as non-login shells by default. ~/.bash_profile is still read when I ssh to my computer.

See https://www.gnu.org/s/bash/manual/html_node/Bash-Startup-Files.html for more information.

The function keyword in your function definition is redundant by the way. function name() { :; } is identical to name() { :; } in bash. The function keyword is not defined by POSIX.

Shell function in .bashrc is not recognized

2 Answers2