req@warwick.UUCP (Russell Quin) (09/12/85)
Problem: (on 4.1c bsd, somewhat modified, on a VAX 11/750) Shell scripts stopping working whilst compiled programs (C, etc) were OK. I have been unable to reproduce the effect reliably, but it has only ever happened in conjunction with rn. What happens is that I try to use rn's `r' key (or `R') which invokes Rnmail, a shell script. Except, it doesn't. Instead, rn returns immediately with a prompt and the message 'returning to cbreak mode' that it normally gives when Rnmail is finished. At first I just thought that rn had got bored of my mail, but when I then shelled out (the `!' command), I found that all was OK as long as I didn't try to use shell scripts -- which failed in the same way as Rnmail, returning immediately. "/bin/sh file" didn't work, but "/bin/sh < file" was OK; I even tried (unsuccessfully) "/bin/sh -i < /dev/tty > /dev/tty 2>/dev/tty", but, as ps confirmed, the shell hadn't become detached. Csh, however, worked fine. PATH was set OK, and when I suspended rn (^Z) and used another shell, that was fine. (We have a "process monitor" that sits outside sh or a local shell (wash) to give job control). Sorry to be so vague & verbose; if you have any ideas about things that make shell scripts (with or without "#! /bin/sh") fail without affecting things like cat or ls, then let me know!!!! I am baffled!!! - Russell -- ... mcvax!ukc!warwick!req (req@warwick.UUCP) "If no small boy smeared with honey can be found, it may be necessary to take an ordinary small boy and smear him, which should be a pleasure."