Assigning the output of a command to a variable [duplicate]
Try:
output=$(ps -ef | awk '/siebsvc –s siebsrvr/ && !/awk/ { a++ } END { print a }'); echo $output
Wrapping your command in $( )
tells the shell to run that command, instead of attempting to set the command itself to the variable named "output". (Note that you could also use backticks `command`.)
I can highly recommend http://tldp.org/LDP/abs/html/commandsub.html to learn more about command substitution.
Also, as 1_CR correctly points out in a comment, the extra space between the equals sign and the assignment is causing it to fail. Here is a simple example on my machine of the behavior you are experiencing:
jed@MBP:~$ foo=$(ps -ef |head -1);echo $fooUID PID PPID C STIME TTY TIME CMDjed@MBP:~$ foo= $(ps -ef |head -1);echo $foo-bash: UID: command not foundUID PID PPID C STIME TTY TIME CMD