Mixing BASH with C

[Mikro]

How do you mix BASH with C. What I am trying to do is with a c-program take input into two arrays and then send them into any BASH command and execute the command. I have tried doing it with copy but with no luck.

#include <stdio.h>
#include <stdlib.h>

int main(void)
{
	char name1[20];
	char name2[20];

	printf("Please enter two names.\n");
	scanf("%s %s", name1, name2);
	
	system("cp name1 name2");

	return 0;
}

[sean]

Well I'm no Linux expert, but that system() call? name1 and name2 are parts of a string literal in that parameter. You're not referring to the arrays in that case. Rethink that, and then try again.

[-=SoKrA=-]

use the exec function family. 'man 3 exec' should do it.

[IfYouSaySo]

Do you want to have the two names passed as arguments to the executable, or do you want them to be sent via standard input? You are passing them as arguments, but keep in mind that many unix tools expect the data to arrive via standard input through a pipe redirection...

[dwks]

The program being executed is cp. cp expects arguments.

sean_mackrory has a point. Use a temporary string for the call to system/exec.

[fnoyan]

Hi

system("cp name1 name2");

You pass "cp name1 name2" to system() command! So, the command means
"copy name1 as name1",it does not mean "copy the file whose name was defined by the user and contained in name1 as name2"!

You have to declare a new char[] and then append it so that you construct a new array of char containing your bash commad. Maybe you want to have a look to sprintf()

And one more suggestion, use fork()-exec() (actually one of exec family funcions) for calling another program inside of yours!

[dwks]

Everything you posted can already be found in this thread. Except

And one more suggestion, use fork()-exec() (actually one of exec family funcions) for calling another program inside of yours!

See the FAQ on that topic: http://faq.cprogramming.com/cgi-bin/...&id=1043284392