bash scripting: find and replace multiword string

Question

I'm trying to write a bash script to configure a server and I need to change the line:

    listen = /var/run/php5-fpm.sock

to equal the following:

    listen = 127.0.0.1:9000

in the file:

    /etc/php5/fpm/pool.d/www.conf

So I've been looking at tutorials for using sed and I've tried the following command to no avail:

    $~: sed -i 's//var/run/php5-fpm.sock/127.0.0.1:9000/g' /etc/php5/fpm/pool.d/www.conf
    $~: sed: -e expression #1, char 8: unknown option to `s'

I've tried escaping the forward slash with a backslash: '/' but I think I'm on the wrong track. There must be a better way to do this?

Thanks for your help.

Beano · Accepted Answer · 2014-01-26 15:06:13Z

3

This is because you are trying to replace the character '/' in the pattern, and this character is used to delimit the 's///' expression. You have two choices, you can escape every '/' character with '/'or - and this is the one I prefer, use a different character to delimit the pattern and replacement string - I tend to use '!'

The character immediately after the 's' is used to delimit the expressions.

sed -i 's!/var/run/php5-fpm.sock!127.0.0.1:9000!g' /etc/php5/fpm/pool.d/www.conf

I actually have got into the habit of ALWAYS using '!' for sed, and perl - as you end up having to escape less characters and ultimately save time.

answered Jan 26, 2014 at 15:06

Beano

7,9093 gold badges26 silver badges27 bronze badges

Sign up to request clarification or add additional context in comments.

1 Comment

Jonathan Leffler Over a year ago

Beware: ! is a metacharacter in bash, an infestation from the world of C shells. It is fine inside single quotes (AFAIK), but can cause problems in double quotes or outside quotes. Regexes should almost always be single-quoted, so it isn't a huge issue.

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

bash scripting: find and replace multiword string

1 Answer 1

1 Comment

Your Answer

Hot Network Questions

Collectives™ on Stack Overflow

1 Answer 1

1 Comment

Your Answer

Sign up or log in

Post as a guest

Related