Setting an argument with bash [duplicate]

Answer 1

It might be a bash issue with word splitting on space:

Try:

#!/bin/bash

IFS=$'\n'

INSTALL_CMD=rpm
INSTALL_OPT='-Uvh'
INSTALL_OPT_DEFINE='--define _transaction_color 3'

${INSTALL_CMD} ${INSTALL_OPT} ${INSTALL_OPT_DEFINE} myPackage.rpm

Answer 2

The problem is that quotes are not processed after variable substitution. So it looks like you're trying to define a macro named '_transaction_color.

Try using an array:

INSTALL_OPT=(-Uvh --define '_transaction_color 3')

then:

"$INSTALL_CMD" "${INSTALL_OPT[@]}" myPackage.rpm

It's important to put ${INSTALL_OPT[@]} inside double quotes to get the requoting.