Moving file using shell script fails occasionally

UNIX for Beginners Q & A
1

Hi,
I am trying to copy a file to "B" directory also once it is done, i am trying to move the files to "C" directory.
And have written the below code to do so.

cd / 

rm script116.source116.file

SOURCEONEACTUAL="a"
SOURCEONENEW="b"

ls -lrth $SOURCEONEACTUAL116 | awk '{print $9}' |grep -v temp > script.source.file

while read line
do
cd  $SOURCEONEACTUAL
cp $line $SOURCEONEACTUAL/temp/
mv $line $SOURCEONENEW

done < script.source.file

date

The code works fine, but sometimes i am seeing the file count mismatch from b directory to c directory.
I have enabled the code in cronjob to carry out the process once in every hour as file count will be huge.

Need suggestion on below points

  1. How can i add the logs to identify the problem.
  2. And what might be the problem where it is not able to move all the files to new directory after the copy.
2

Hi

You define: SOURCEONEACTUAL="a" and SOURCEONENEW="b" , but not $SOURCEONEACTUAL116 that you try to ls .
You do delete a script116* file, yet you attempt to write a script.* file.

I belive that script.source.file still has content from you 'earlier tries'.
Because as of now, it (ls) should fail due to missing pattern (filename/s).

Try to use set -x to start, and set +x to end debuging.

Hope this helps

3

Hi Sea, Thanks for the response.
Below is the corrected code, and have enabled the debug mode as well.

As observed, when i run the script manually all the files are copied and moved properly, but when i add the script to cronjob, am getting file count mismatch.

Ex: If 1000 files got copied in one day then only 950/960 are moved.

cd / 

rm script.source.file
set -x
SOURCEONEACTUAL="a"
SOURCEONENEW="b"

ls -lrth $SOURCEONEACTUAL | awk '{print $9}' |grep -v temp > script.source.file

while read line
do
cd  $SOURCEONEACTUAL
cp $line $SOURCEONEACTUAL/temp/
mv $line $SOURCEONENEW

done < script.source.file

date
set +x
4

The

ls -lrth $SOURCEONEACTUAL | awk '{print $9}'

can be simplified and improved (in case of a space in the file name):

ls -rt $SOURCEONEACTUAL

The

cd $SOURCEONEACTUAL

you better do once - before the loop.

5

A bit difficult to believe. Pls add facts: file names / count to be copied, file names / count that have been copied, script.source.file 's content, error messages, permissions on target directoroies / files, ...
And, don't underestimate MadeInGermany's hint: with $SOURCEONEACTUAL a relative path, applying cd $SOURCEONEACTUAL several times you'll end up in ./a/a/a... , i.e. nirwana.