Bash Script store cat output in variable and then echo it [duplicate]

Question

I am trying to store a cat output into a variable and then trying to echo it. and then I would like to kill the process.

#!/bin/bash

var = $(cat tmp/pids/unicorn.pid)

echo $var
sudo kill -QUIT $var

Please if anyone can tell where I am going wrong

Don't put space around =. It should be var=$(cat tmp/pids/unicorn.pid). Also provide valid path. — sat
– sat, Commented Oct 22, 2016 at 13:32
@sat tmp/pids/unicorn.pid is a valid path; it might not be the right path, but that isn't relevant to this question. — chepner
– chepner, Commented Oct 22, 2016 at 13:57

user000001 · Accepted Answer · 2016-10-22 13:32:09Z

38

Variable assignments in bash should not have any spaces before or after the equal sign. It should be like this:

#!/bin/bash
var=$(cat tmp/pids/unicorn.pid)
echo "$var"

Which can be written more idiomatically as

#!/bin/bash
var=$(< tmp/pids/unicorn.pid)
echo "$var"

answered Oct 22, 2016 at 13:32

user000001

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1 Comment

+1 This saved my day: "Variable assignments in bash should not have any spaces before or after the equal sign"