On Fri, Aug 17, 2018 at 06:46:54PM +1000, Zenaan Harkness wrote: > $ test $? && echo ok || echo error $?
Others have already pointed out that test $? is not what you think it is. When the test command is given 1 argument, it tests that argument's string length. If the string length is 0, then it's false. If the string length is non-zero, then it's true. The string length of $? is always non-zero, so test $? is always true. But what I really wanted to point out is that the x && y || z construct is BROKEN and WRONG. See <https://mywiki.wooledge.org/BashPitfalls#pf22> for the verbose explanation. On Fri, Aug 17, 2018 at 07:29:47PM +1000, Zenaan Harkness wrote: > Is there a "cleaner" way to test the true/ error exit status other > than using "$?", with bonus points for working in posix sh as well as > Bash, ? Simply use "if" like you're supposed to. if mycommand arg1 arg2; then echo "it worked" else echo "it failed" fi Or, if you only care about one of the two cases, you may use EITHER the && or the || operator. Just never, ever use both of them in the same compound command. mycommand arg1 arg2 || die "whoopsie"