Quick bash script to run a script in a specified folder? - bash

Question

I am attempting to write a bash script that changes directory and then runs an existing script in the new working directory.
This is what I have so far:
#!/bin/bash
cd /path/to/a/folder
./scriptname
scriptname is an executable file that exists in /path/to/a/folder - and (needless to say), I do have permission to run that script.
However, when I run this mind numbingly simple script (above), I get the response:
scriptname: No such file or directory
What am I missing?! the commands work as expected when entered at the CLI, so I am at a loss to explain the error message. How do I fix this?

Answer 1

Looking at your script makes me think that the script you want to launch a script which is locate in the initial directory. Since you change you directory before executing it won't work.
I suggest the following modified script:
#!/bin/bash
SCRIPT_DIR=$PWD
cd /path/to/a/folder
$SCRIPT_DIR/scriptname

Answer 2

cd /path/to/a/folder
pwd
ls
./scriptname
which'll show you what it thinks it's doing.

Answer 3

I usually have something like this in my useful script directory:
#!/bin/bash
# Provide usage information if not arguments were supplied
if [[ "$#" -le 0 ]]; then
echo "Usage: $0 <executable> [<argument>...]" >&2
exit 1
fi
# Get the executable by removing the last slash and anything before it
X="${1##*/}"
# Get the directory by removing the executable name
D="${1%$X}"
# Check if the directory exists
if [[ -d "$D" ]]; then
# If it does, cd into it
cd "$D"
else
if [[ "$D" ]]; then
# Complain if a directory was specified, but does not exist
echo "Directory '$D' does not exist" >&2
exit 1
fi
fi
# Check if the executable is, well, executable
if [[ -x "$X" ]]; then
# Run the executable in its directory with the supplied arguments
exec ./"$X" "${#:2}"
else
# Complain if the executable is not a valid
echo "Executable '$X' does not exist in '$D'" >&2
exit 1
fi
Usage:
$ cdexec
Usage: /home/archon/bin/cdexec <executable> [<argument>...]
$ cdexec /bin/ls ls
ls
$ cdexec /bin/xxx/ls ls
Directory '/bin/xxx/' does not exist
$ cdexec /ls ls
Executable 'ls' does not exist in '/'

Answer 4

One source of such error messages under those conditions is a broken symlink.
However, you say the script works when run from the command line. I would also check to see whether the directory is a symlink that's doing something other than what you expect.
Does it work if you call it in your script with the full path instead of using cd?
#!/bin/bash
/path/to/a/folder/scriptname
What about when called that way from the command line?