[SOLVED] [Bash] error, but seems to work anyway?

[markjoe]

Here is the piece of code in question.

 if [ `rm "/raid/$purgeFile.mpg"` -eq 0 ]
               then
                   echo "Deleted $purgeFile.mpg"
               else
                    echo "Unable to Delete $purgeFile.mpg"
          fi

I get an error stating: "Unary operator expected", and the else branch runs.

Yet, the files seem to be deleted.

I only say 'seem to be', because I did not confirm the files where there in the first place.

But the list this is running through is way longer than the echos I get from the script, and if I run it again, I get nothing back.

 

Do I have a simple syntax problem here? Obviously, I'm not Super Bash Guy here.

 

Running on HP's Tru64 UNIX.

[trq]

The $? variable holds the exit signal of the last executed command so....

rm "/raid/${purgeFile}.mpg"

if [ "{$?}" -eq 0 ]
then
  echo "Deleted ${purgeFile}.mpg"
else
  echo "Unable to Delete ${purgeFile}.mpg"
fi

[markjoe]

That did it, thanks alot.

I thought the backticks would bring the returned code into the conditional.