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Tal
Asked: 2015-08-05 02:40:37 +0800 CST

Syntax error near unexpected token `('

  • 772

When I use below code in Ubuntu terminal, it works fine:

rm !(*.sh) -rf

But if I place the same line code in a shell script (clean.sh) and run the shell script from terminal, it throws an error:

clean.sh script:

#!/bin/bash
rm !(*.sh) -rf

The error I get:

./clean.sh: line 2: syntax error near unexpected token `('
./clean.sh: line 2: `rm !(*.sh) -rf'

can you help?

command-line

3 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    rm !(*.sh) is a extglob syntax which means remove all files except the ones that have the .sh extension.

    In your interactive bash instance, the shell option extglob is on :

    $ shopt extglob 
extglob         on

    Now as your script is running in a subshell, you need to enable extglob by adding this at the start of the script :

    shopt -s extglob

    So your script looks like :

    #!/bin/bash
shopt -s extglob
rm -rf -- !(*.sh)

    EDIT :

    To remove all files except .sh extension ones use GLOBIGNORE (as you don't want to enable extglob) :

    #!/bin/bash
GLOBIGNORE='*.sh'
rm -rf *

    Example :

    $ ls -1
barbar
bar.sh
egg
foo.sh
spam

$ GLOBIGNORE='*.sh'

$ rm *

$ ls -1
bar.sh
foo.sh
    • 26

  2. Ok, it's a cross-post, but I have to write an answer. ;)

    You could use find instead

    find . -maxdepth 1 ! -name '*.sh' -exec rm -rf {} \;
    • 4

  3. You need to turn extglob on:

    shopt -s extglob
    • 2