I set up aliases in /etc/profile.d/alias.sh for each login shell. But if I run script.sh, I can't use that alias. How can I set alias even for subshells or child processes ?

/etc/profile.d/alias.sh

alias rmvr='rm -rv';
alias cprv='cp -rv';
alias mvrv='mv -rv';
link|improve this question
feedback

2 Answers

up vote 1 down vote accepted

Aliases are not inherited. That's why they are traditionally set in bashrc and not profile. Source your script.sh from your .bashrc or the system-wide one instead.

link|improve this answer
By inhereted, you mean that for instance exported variables are inherited and the rest is not ? – lisak Aug 5 '11 at 16:03
I don't think that .bashrc helps... If you use that alias then in a subshell, it doesn't know it – lisak Aug 5 '11 at 16:06
bashrc is read for all interactive non-login shells which is why this should work since most shells you start up are interactive non-login shells, and aliases do work in subshells with () – jw013 Aug 5 '11 at 16:12
I didn't know about aliasName() invocation, thank you – lisak Aug 5 '11 at 16:18
Just to be clear, what I meant was in bash, alias foo='echo foobar', enter, (foo) outputs foobar. – jw013 Aug 5 '11 at 16:21
feedback

It is because /etc/profile.d/ is used only by interactive login shell. However, /etc/bash.bashrc is used by interactive non-login shell.

As I usually do set some global aliases for system, I have started to create /etc/bashrc.d where I can drop a file with some global aliases:

    HAVE_BASHRC_D=`cat /etc/bash.bashrc | grep -F '/etc/bashrc.d' | wc -l`

    if [ ! -d /etc/bashrc.d ]; then
            mkdir -p /etc/bashrc.d
    fi
    if [ "$HAVE_BASHRC_D" == "0" ]; then
        echo "Setting up bash aliases"
            (cat <<-'EOF'
                                    if [ -d /etc/bashrc.d ]; then
                                      for i in /etc/bashrc.d/*.sh; do
                                        if [ -r $i ]; then
                                          . $i
                                        fi
                                      done
                                      unset i
                                    fi
                            EOF
            ) >> /etc/bash.bashrc

    fi
link|improve this answer
feedback

Your Answer

 
or
required, but never shown

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.