48 lines
1.8 KiB
Markdown
48 lines
1.8 KiB
Markdown
 
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# Bash Cookbook — Testing for an Interactive Shell (O'Reilly)
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## Metadata
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| Field | Value |
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| Institute | Molodetz Institute — Research & Retrieval Division |
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| Subject | shell-multiplexer-auto-attach |
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| Document type | Source Dossier |
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| Tier | 1 |
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| Source title | Bash Cookbook, "Use the following case" excerpt |
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| Source URL | https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/bash-cookbook/0596526784/ch01s10.html |
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| Source publisher / author | O'Reilly Media (Bash Cookbook) |
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| Source type | vendor docs |
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| Source date (published) | Unknown — not stated |
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| Date researched | 2026-10-09 |
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| Researched by | tai (agent), model: Claude Sonnet 5, on behalf of retoor |
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| Research method | web search synthesis |
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| Confidence | Medium |
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| Status | Active |
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## Summary
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An independent, published-book confirmation of the `$-` test, explicitly stating it as the *preferred* method over checking whether `$PS1` is set.
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## Key findings
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- Corroborates the nixCraft guide's recommendation from a second, independent, edited (not just blog) source.
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- Explicitly ranks `$-` above the `$PS1`-is-set check, rather than treating them as interchangeable.
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## Pros / strengths
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- A published, edited technical book is a stronger signal of broad community consensus than any single blog post — two independent sources agreeing on the same preferred test is meaningful corroboration.
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## Cons / limitations / caveats
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- Older reference material (the Bash Cookbook predates most AI-agent-terminal concerns); it has nothing to say about the automation-vs-human distinction this subject's proposal actually needs.
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## Relevance to tai
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Corroborating evidence (not new information) for using `$-` over `$PS1` as the proposal's first-line interactivity check.
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## Changelog
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| Date | Change |
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| 2026-10-09 | Initial dossier created. |
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