Home / ubuntu / Questions / 964934
Accepted
user2717954
Asked: 2017-10-15 10:31:14 +0800 CST

problem with loading tcshrc

  • 772

I have ubuntu 16.04 installed on my local pc and I'm trying to make my work environment as similar to the way it is configured at my job

to achieve that I wanted to use the same tcshrc file (yes, we use tcsh, not sure why...)

anyway, when I try to open a tcsh terminal (or to source ~/.tcshrc for the matter) I'm getting an error:

set: Variable name must begin with a letter.

trying to isolate the cause I found out that the next lines are enough to cause it

#!/bin/tcsh
echo 0
set history = 2000  # this line is not the cause, verified by echoing
echo 1
set savehist = (2000 merge)
echo 2

output:

0
1
set: Variable name must begin with a letter.

when i try to run set savehist = (2000 merge) as a regular shell command the terminal doesn't show any error.

ofcourse that at my job the tcshrc is working fine. in both I have tcsh 6.18.01 installed

any help is welcome

thanks

tcsh

1 Answers

  1. Best Answer

    as answered by ilkkachu here, the reason for my .tcshrc not working was that few hidden characters were added to my original .tcshrc that I sent over an email. using od -c .tcshrc clearly showed the sneaky characters and once removed everything worked as expected

    • 2