bash, single quotes, double quotes, escape characters

19 Nov 2004


      I'm trying to do an ldapsearch in a bash script.  I need to be able 
to expand a variable and use a NOT (!).

    If I use double quotes around the filter like this:
    ldapsearch "(&(cn=$LOGIN)(!(usertype=student)))"
bash complaines about "bash: !: event not found" and doesn't even 
execute the command.

    If I use single quotes around the filter like this:
    ldapsearch '(&(cn=$LOGIN)(!(usertype=student)))'
the command runs but the variable does not get expaned.

    If I use a backslash escape like this:
    ldapsearch "(&(cn=$LOGIN(\!(usertype=student)))"
ldapsearch complains about "ldapsearch: ldap_search_ext: Bad search 
filter (-7)"

    Any ideas?

Jason Joines
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