The following shell script adds entries to a file named journal-file in your home directory. This script helps you keep track of phone conversations and meetings.

Question

$ cat journal
# journal: add journal entries to the file
# $HOME/journal-file
file=$HOME/journal-file
date >> $file
echo -n "Enter name of person or group: "
read name
echo "$name" >> $file
echo >> $file
cat >> $file
echo "----------------------------------------------------" >>
$file
echo >> $file

a. What do you have to do to the script to be able to execute it?
b. Why does the script use the read builtin the first time it accepts input from
the terminal and the cat utility the second time?

Answer 1

a. You need read and execute permission to the file that contains the script

to execute the script by giving its filename as a command. Use the com-
mand chmod 755 journal or chmod u=rwx,go=rx journal to give yourself
read, write, and execute access and to give everyone else read and execute
access to the file.
b. The read builtin accepts text until you press RETURN, which is appropriate
for accepting input when the user enters a name. The cat utility accepts
input until you press CONTROL-D at the beginning of a line, which is appro-
priate for accepting several lines of input.