Articles about scripting | UserComp.com

Why ffmpeg Filter Variables Silently Disappear in PowerShell — and the Three Fixes

PowerShell parses scripts differently from cmd, so variables in an ffmpeg filter graph can quietly expand to nothing. Quoted assignments, curly-brace delimiters, and a quoted filter string fix it.

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Troubleshooting Bash Script with Suspected Issues of Spaces, Dashes, Filenames and Quoting

Resolve Bash script failures caused by word splitting, globbing, and special characters in filenames by applying proper quoting techniques.

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Powershell Script Not Running in Task Scheduler: A Troubleshooting Guide

Resolve PowerShell script failures in Task Scheduler by configuring execution policies, working directories, and user privileges.

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Generate Random Number: Email Typed

Generate a deterministic random number from an email address in Python using SHA-256 hashing to ensure consistent results across sessions.

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Running a script inside another script

Resolve variable loss when calling scripts by choosing between subshell execution and sourcing to share state.

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Persisting Windows Variables in CMD Files: A Comprehensive Guide

Resolve missing environment variables in new CMD sessions by using setx to persist values to the Windows Registry.

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Modifying a Single Variable in Multiple Versions of a File Across Multiple Directories

Replace a specific variable across multiple files in nested directories using find and sed on Linux or PowerShell on Windows.

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PowerShell and Batch: Get Spaces using Multiplatform Approaches

Generate consistent whitespace in PowerShell and Batch scripts for cross-platform formatting, alignment, and visual separators.

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Validate FFmpeg Scripts Without Running Them

Prevent wasted resources by validating FFmpeg scripts for syntax and filter errors before execution using dry-run techniques.

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How can I directly negate options in PowerShell?

Resolve PowerShell syntax errors when attempting to negate command parameters by using conditional logic, boolean variables, or parameter splatting.

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Checking if an Element Exists Inside an Array in Different Arrays using Bash

Demonstrates how to find common elements between two Bash arrays using nested loops and exact equality checks.

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Scheduled Crontask Terminal Execution: Different Results

Resolve cron job failures caused by missing environment variables, incorrect working directories, and undefined paths by explicitly sourcing profiles or using absolute paths.

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Running VBScripts in Sublime Text: An Alternative to Explorer

Configure a custom build system in Sublime Text to execute VBScripts directly via cscript, eliminating the need to switch to File Explorer for testing.

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PowerShell Script: Check Drive Health with Drive Letter

Correlate physical disk health status with Windows drive letters using PowerShell Storage module cmdlets.

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AutoHotkey Not Sending Commands: A Troubleshooting Guide for Tech Support

Resolve AutoHotkey failing to send commands by fixing syntax errors, adjusting Send modes for compatibility, and resolving UAC privilege conflicts.

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Creating Large Amounts of Small Files with Batch Scripting and Variable Naming Schemes

Resolve variable expansion scope errors in Windows batch loops to correctly generate thousands of uniquely named small files.

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Setting Variables in One-Line Batch: A New Contributor's Experience

Resolves syntax errors in Windows batch scripts by enforcing the set VAR=value format without spaces around the equals sign.

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Merging Multiple CSV Files: A Solution for Script Users

Merge multiple CSV files into a single dataset using Python Pandas or PowerShell to automate data consolidation and eliminate manual errors.

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Automating WinSCP FTP Transfers with Powershell: Variable Space-Containing Paths Causing Issues

Resolve WinSCP FTP transfer failures caused by spaces in file paths when using PowerShell command-line execution.

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How to convert code from test format to if fi format?

Convert legacy test command usage to idiomatic if fi structures for improved readability and performance.

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Understanding Window Specific URL Curl Output with Bash

Capture the final URL after redirects in Bash scripts using curl -w "%{url_effective}\n" to resolve discrepancies between requested and actual endpoints.

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Bash Source Command Silently Fails in WSL2 vs Direct Executions in Shell?

Resolve silent failures when sourcing JSON files in Bash by converting them to valid export statements using jq.

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Email Automation with Python: Download Attachments from Specific Senders

Automates downloading attachments from specific senders by parsing complex multipart MIME structures and handling IMAP authentication securely.

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Checking Active Network Shares within a Domain using PowerShell Script

Automate verification of active network shares across domain servers using PowerShell to identify discrepancies and ensure resource accessibility.

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Using SSH Pass with Bash Script for Remote Access

Automate non-interactive SSH connections to remote servers using bash scripts and sshpass without manual password entry.

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Equivalent Batch PowerShell: Replacing Batch Script with PowerShell

Replace fragile Batch scripts with robust PowerShell by leveraging object-oriented pipelines and native cmdlets for reliable file and system management.

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Python Script Fails: Couldn't Find Platform-Independent Libraries

Resolve Python error where interpreter cannot find third-party packages like NumPy by verifying virtual environment activation and reinstalling the library.

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Different Outputs when Running 'cat' Command via Scripts: 'cat.sh'

Resolves cat appearing to hang in scripts by redirecting stdin from /dev/tty to read user input instead of the script file.

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Iterating Arrays and Spaced String Pairs in Zsh: A Comprehensive Guide

Resolve subshell scope issues in Zsh by using redirection instead of pipes to preserve variable changes during array iteration.

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Resolving Ansible lookup() error with ansible_lsb.codename

Resolve Ansible lookup errors for ansible_lsb.codename by explicitly gathering LSB facts using the setup module with a filter.

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Bash Scripts Not Providing Expected Output?

Resolve unexpected Bash script output by fixing shebangs, enabling debug mode, managing redirections, and correcting variable quoting.

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Why Powershell Code Works on One Computer but Not Another?

Resolve PowerShell script failures across different computers by checking execution policies, verifying module availability, and ensuring consistent variable scopes.

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OSSL Cipher Unpad Block: Bad Decrypt Error in Red Hat Script

Resolve OSSL_CIPHER_UNPAD_BAD_DECRYPT errors in Red Hat scripts by verifying key integrity, checking for file corruption during transfer, and ensuring correct IV usage.

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PowerShell Closure Issue: Learning the Basics

Resolve PowerShell closure bugs where script blocks capture variable references instead of values by using parameter binding.

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Making Bat Files Execute Multiple Commands at Once

Resolve batch script termination issues by using call for sub-scripts and operators like && for conditional execution.

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Troubleshooting: Pasting Variables in Multiple AHK Scripts

Resolve variable sharing failures between separate AutoHotkey scripts by implementing Inter-Process Communication via temporary files or the clipboard.

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How to Write Bash Script on VS Code Beginner

Resolves the lack of syntax highlighting and error checking for Bash scripts in VS Code by installing ShellCheck and configuring the environment.

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Understanding the pipe and heredoc in Tech Support

Demonstrates using pipes and heredocs to automate log analysis, script configuration, and multi-line input in Linux technical support.

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AHK: Waiting for Multiple Keys Pressed (Missing VK, not SC)

Detect simultaneous key presses in AutoHotkey using VK codes for cross-layout compatibility.

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Bash Command: Understanding '//xxx[]' and Its Usage

Demonstrates using Bash parameter expansion with double slashes to perform global string substitution and character class matching within variables.

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Automating Directory Renaming with Number Matching List using Shell Scripting

Automate renaming directories by mapping numeric IDs from a list to specific names using a safe Bash script.

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Determining Script Execution on Windows, Linux, and MacOS

Resolve cross-platform script execution failures by configuring Windows registry extensions and Linux macOS shebang lines.

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Running Multiple curl cmd Commands Found in a Separate .txt File in a Single Folder

Execute multiple curl commands stored in a text file by parsing lines with a shell while loop and eval to handle complex arguments.

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Differences in Running 'wlsstart' Scripts with Absolute vs. Relative Paths in RHEL8 Linux

Resolve wlsstart script failures in RHEL8 caused by differences between absolute and relative path execution contexts.

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Script to Delete Inactive Local User Accounts

This script safely deletes local Windows user accounts inactive for 90 days by handling null LastLogonTimestamp values and ensuring administrative privileges.

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Linux Bash Wait Command Not Working: A Solution for Running Multiple Scripts Simultaneously

Resolve Linux Bash wait command failures with subshells by explicitly capturing background process PIDs to ensure reliable script synchronization.

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Setting Global Variable with Bash Function Output Piped to Another Command

Assigns a Bash function's output to a global variable using command substitution to avoid subshell isolation issues caused by pipes.

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Determining Path in Ash Shell: Sourcing Scripts

Resolve command not found errors when sourcing scripts in Ash shell by using absolute paths and ensuring a space between the dot and file path.

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Scripting with Files and Folders: A Tech Support Guide

Automate file and folder management silently using PowerShell or Bash to eliminate manual errors and ensure consistent background execution.

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Linux Bash: Convert Date-Time Formats with Ease

Resolve ambiguous date parsing in Bash by converting DD/MM/YYYY strings to ISO 8601 format before using the date command for reliable output formatting.

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