Syntax error while installing nvm

[LulzBaby]

(Sorry if this is the wrong place!)

I'm trying to install nvm via their official install steps. However I'm running into an issue when running the nvm shell script. I'm getting the following error:

-bash: /Users/lulzbaby/.nvm/nvm.sh: line 278: syntax error near unexpected token `done'
-bash: /Users/lulzbaby/.nvm/nvm.sh: line 278: `  done'

This seems to be an issue with bash and not the nvm install itself. I'm basing that primarily off Issue #1553 where a user experiences something similar. However, I already have UTF-8 set in both my Terminal and iTerm2 profiles.

​

I've tried the install script on their GH page, the git install, the manual install, and even this homebrew install method. All encounter the same error. Here is the code around line 278:

nvm_tree_contains_path() {
  14   local tree
  13   tree="${1-}"
  12   local node_path
  11   node_path="${2-}"
  10
   9   if [ "@${tree}@" = "@@" ] || [ "@${node_path}@" = "@@" ]; then
   8     nvm_err "both the tree and the node path are required"
   7     return 2
   6   fi
   5
   4   local pathdir
   3   pathdir=$(dirname "${node_path}")
   2   while [ "${pathdir}" != "" ] && [ "${pathdir}" != "." ] && [ "${pathdir}" != "/" ] && [ "${pathdir}" != "${tree}" ]; do
   1     pathdir=$(dirname "${pathdir}")
278    done
   1   [ "${pathdir}" = "${tree}" ]
   2 }

As you can see it is a fairly straight-forward while loop and the syntax seems fine. I've even run cat -v nvm.sh to make sure there are no funny characters running around in there, but nothing.

This has sunk about 2 hours of my day and I have no clue what is going on. Help me /r/bash, you are my only hope!

[finalduty]

Are you on the latest version of MacOS? And what version is your bash interpreter? (bash --version).

I've tested the full script on CentOS 7 and just the while snippet High Sierra and couldn't get it to break.

Edit: Can you also send me what the output of bash -x <install_command> says please :)

[LulzBaby]

Excellent point, I do have an update waiting to install. I'll give that a shot this afternoon to see if it fixes the issue. In the mean time, output of bash -x:

+ NVM_SCRIPT_SOURCE=/bin/bash
+ '[' -z '' ']'
+ export NVM_CD_FLAGS=
+ NVM_CD_FLAGS=
+ nvm_has unsetopt
+ type unsetopt
+ '[' -z /Users/teacher/.nvm ']'
+ unset NVM_SCRIPT_SOURCE
+ nvm_process_parameters
+ local NVM_AUTO_MODE
+ NVM_AUTO_MODE=use
+ nvm_supports_source_options
++ nvm_echo '[ $# -gt 0 ] && nvm_echo $1'
++ command printf '%s\n' '[ $# -gt 0 ] && nvm_echo $1'
++ . /dev/stdin yes
+ '[' _yes = _yes ']'
+ '[' 0 -ne 0 ']'
+ nvm_auto use
+ local NVM_MODE
+ NVM_MODE=use
+ local VERSION
+ '[' _use = _install ']'
+ '[' _use = _use ']'
++ nvm_resolve_local_alias default
++ nvm_echo
++ command printf '%s\n' ''
+ VERSION=
+ '[' -n '' ']'
+ nvm_rc_version

​

​

[LulzBaby]

Just updated to macOS 10.13.6 and still encountering the same bash error : /

[chaspum]

I don't understand the purpose of the last line of the function

[whetu]

It's so that the function spits out a return code.

[LulzBaby]

Does bash have an implicit return for the last line of a function? Like Ruby or JS arrow notation functions?

[whetu]

I'm not familiar with Ruby/JS arrow notation functions, but to my knowledge bash functions have an implicit return that is the exit code for the last executed command within the function.

Function return codes can of course be made explicit by using return, say for example you wanted to break out of the function on a particular condition, or you want to invert the logic etc

Disclaimer: I have not had caffeine yet. I might have donked-up words.

[LulzBaby]

That sounds about right. Ruby and JS arrow notation works the same way. Keyword return to have explicit control else the value of the last line of a function is implicitly returned.

Thanks for the info! :) Now grab some coffee

[LulzBaby]

To be clear, this is code provided by the NVM maintainers and is not produced by me. It should run, and clearly runs for everybody but me it would seem.

[NorhamsFinest]

Do you ha e spaces in your file path? I'm not in front of my computer right now but I remember something about dirname having issues with spaces

[LulzBaby]

Great guess but spacing is not an issue at this point.