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I am working on a project and have an application shell script. For function part, I need the GPIO access, and for that, I am using the standard wiringpi package.

The issue I am getting is with the #!/bin/bash vs #!/bin/sh use

I have been using the #!/bin/bash in past in conjunction with the wiringpi function - Raspberry Pi A+

but now when I have switched to the Raspberry Pi Jessie buster July 2019, I am having an issue running the wiring Pi function

for example

gpio mode 21 out
gpio -g write 21 0

working fine inside script if I use #!/bin/sh

but I get warnings for the associative array

Warning:

./dataLog.sh: 292: ./dataLog.sh: declare: not found
./dataLog.sh: 295: ./dataLog.sh: Bad substitution

Code:

Line 291: declare -A status="($(upsc myups | sed 's/\(.*\):\(.*\)/[\1]="\2"/'))"

Line 295: if [[ ${status[device.model]} != "" ]] ; then

if I use the #!/bin/bash, I do not get any error related to the associative array, but now my GPIO is not working.

I am trying to find the solution to the issue - Where I can use #!/bin/bash shell and wiringpi functions together

Thank you

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  • I can't see any relevance to wiringPi or the Raspberry Pi. his seems to be a general script problem.
    – joan
    Sep 17, 2019 at 14:55
  • Yes, but I can see how the OP might not be able determine that, since there is the mystery of gpio not working in one version. Which is a real mystery.
    – goldilocks
    Sep 17, 2019 at 14:57
  • @joan The issue is that I was using the same script with the minibian buit, and never had any issue Sep 17, 2019 at 15:01
  • Kunal, you need to clarify exactly what you mean by "not working". How are you running the script? Are there any errors, or is this deduction based on the physical behaviour? If the latter, exactly what is that (LEDs, etc)?
    – goldilocks
    Sep 17, 2019 at 15:01
  • now I have upgraded to the Jessie img and now the same script breaks Sep 17, 2019 at 15:02

2 Answers 2

3

Finally, after fiddling around I am able to resolve the issue.

As per the WiringPi setup guide to set the direction of a gpio u should use

    gpio mode 21 out

This method works if you are using #!/bin/sh shell

But if you want to use #!/bin/bash shell then you have to use

    gpio -g mode 21 out

After, setting up the direction with use of '-g' I am able to control the GPIOs

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  • 1
    In other words this question has nothing to do with bash! gpio mode 21 out would set BCM 5. It is a simple failure to read the documentation.
    – Milliways
    Sep 18, 2019 at 23:58
  • 1
    Official Guide States : gpio -g … The optional -g flag causes pin numbers to be interpreted as BCM_GPIO pin numbers rather than standard wiringPi pin numbers. And it is true for GPIO R/W, the document does not have anything about the MODE Sep 19, 2019 at 12:31
2

Check out this post on the difference between sh and bash:

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/5725296/difference-between-sh-and-bash

In summary of key points, sh is really a standard and bash was originally an implementation of that standard that evolved to have a lot of extensions, some of which caused it to deviate from the standard.

When you do #!/bin/sh that usually actually directs you to a bash shell, but that's implementation / configuration dependent on your flavor of Linux. (Note the recent trend toward having sh point to dash in the answer at the link.) Even when it directs to bash, however, bash may know that you called it as sh and restrict access to the extensions.

So bottom line is that sh and bash are not equivalent and they may differ in different ways depending on the exact version of Linux that you have. If you are using bash extensions, then specify that you need bash. (This seems to be your case.)

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  • So far the search leads me to the conclusion that the "wiringpi" can only be accessed through the sh shell. Which is making it difficult for me to use the bash functions, which I need for batter part of my script Sep 17, 2019 at 16:46
  • I don't know if WiringPi does or does not work from various shells, but the premise of your question seems to be wrong to the extent that you seemed to expect different shells to have the same behavior. From what I understand in your question, it doesn't seem to be working for you properly in either shell, but it's giving you different symptoms in the two cases.
    – Brick
    Sep 17, 2019 at 16:51
  • I have to edit my question, I want to resolve the issue but not sure about the solution I can use Sep 17, 2019 at 16:54
  • As of last month, WiringPi is no longer supported: wiringpi.com/wiringpi-deprecated. You can use this answer as a clue to debug what's happening under the hood, but if some script in there is using extensions (bash or otherwise), then you may need to sort that out yourself. Else post more details, Else use something other than WiringPi.
    – Brick
    Sep 17, 2019 at 17:12
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    "When you do #!/bin/sh that usually actually directs you to a bash shell" that used to be the case, but nowadays Debian-based distros use dash as the default /bin/sh implementation. Sep 18, 2019 at 15:35

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