Execute combine multiple Linux commands in one line Execute combine multiple Linux commands in one line linux linux

Execute combine multiple Linux commands in one line


If you want to execute each command only if the previous one succeeded, then combine them using the && operator:

cd /my_folder && rm *.jar && svn co path to repo && mvn compile package install

If one of the commands fails, then all other commands following it won't be executed.

If you want to execute all commands regardless of whether the previous ones failed or not, separate them with semicolons:

cd /my_folder; rm *.jar; svn co path to repo; mvn compile package install

In your case, I think you want the first case where execution of the next command depends on the success of the previous one.

You can also put all commands in a script and execute that instead:

#! /bin/shcd /my_folder \&& rm *.jar \&& svn co path to repo \&& mvn compile package install

(The backslashes at the end of the line are there to prevent the shell from thinking that the next line is a new command; if you omit the backslashes, you would need to write the whole command in a single line.)

Save that to a file, for example myscript, and make it executable:

chmod +x myscript

You can now execute that script like other programs on the machine. But if you don't place it inside a directory listed in your PATH environment variable (for example /usr/local/bin, or on some Linux distributions ~/bin), then you will need to specify the path to that script. If it's in the current directory, you execute it with:

./myscript

The commands in the script work the same way as the commands in the first example; the next command only executes if the previous one succeeded. For unconditional execution of all commands, simply list each command on its own line:

#! /bin/shcd /my_folderrm *.jarsvn co path to repomvn compile package install


I've found that using ; to separate commands only works in the foreground. eg :

cmd1; cmd2; cmd3 & - will only execute cmd3 in the background, whereascmd1 && cmd2 && cmd3 & - will execute the entire chain in the background IF there are no errors.

To cater for unconditional execution, using parenthesis solves this :

(cmd1; cmd2; cmd3) & - will execute the chain of commands in the background, even if any step fails.


You can separate your commands using a semi colon:

cd /my_folder;rm *.jar;svn co path to repo;mvn compile package install

Was that what you mean?