Getting last executed command name in bash script

Question

In a bash script I want to get the name of the last command executed in terminal and store it in the variable for later use. I know that !:0 doesn't work in bash script, and I'm looking for some replacement of it. For example:

#user enters pwd
> pwd
/home/paul
#I call my script and it show the last command
> ./last_command
pwd

this didn't help, it just prints empty line. getting last executed command from script

Fabio A. Correa · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-24 20:26:37Z

3

Tell the shell to continuously append commands to the history file:

export PROMPT_COMMAND="history -a"

Put the following into your script:

#!/bin/bash

echo "Your command was:"
tail -n 1 ~/.bash_history

edited Apr 24, 2019 at 20:26

answered Apr 24, 2019 at 20:14

Fabio A. Correa

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3 Comments

xxxvodnikxxx Over a year ago

Only one thing, if I am correct , then history is user-scoped, in the sense of if you will run some commands like in order with user switch, then in origin user history you will probably find only switch to user, not the commands which ran under new user (ask you can see there is ~ in the path for bash_history file)

Fabio A. Correa Over a year ago

I understand, although I am not sure the OP wants to consider the case of switching users.

Pavlo Kovalov Over a year ago

@FabioA.Correa yep, I don’t care, I’m coding for myself :)

score 1 · Accepted Answer · 2019-04-25 07:35:16Z

1

as far as I benefit the working one in my .bashrc;

export HISTCONTROL=ignoredups:erasedups

then do this, on console or in script respectively

history 2

cm=$(history 1)

edited Apr 25, 2019 at 7:35

answered Apr 25, 2019 at 7:29

user7712945

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