tcsh shell script cannot open newly created file

What command you are using to create and open the file? Show us some code. If the delay is the cause of the problem as you suspect, you could put some time delay by sleep command.

CreateFile
#Delay 5 seconds...
sleep 5
OpenFile

Did you close the file that you created?

Some code would be extremely useful.

Here is part of the script

        echo "osfetch_linux $default_ip $filename"

        # Fetch data from Musti box
        osfetch_linux $default_ip $filename

        # Split it up
        set split_dir = $filename'_'$chunk_size
        mkdir $split_dir
        split -b $chunk_size $filename $split_dir/$filename

        # List available splitted chunks for user to select
        set ii = 1
        set splitted_chunks = `ls $split_dir`
        foreach item ( `ls $split_dir` )
            if( ! -d "$1/$item" ) then
                set splitted_chunks[$ii] = $item
                echo $ii - $item
                @ ii++
            endif
        end

        # User selection        
        echo -n "Enter chunk # to translate: "
        set inputline = $<
        set chunk_to_translate = $splitted_chunks[$inputline]
        set chunk_to_translate = $split_dir/$chunk_to_translate  
        echo "chunk_to_translate == <$chunk_to_translate>"
       
        # Translate it    
        ibuprofen_linux $chunk_to_translate

I tried to wait for sometimes before making the selection, but still same result "File not found or file cannot be opened." .... as soon as I exit the script, and run it again (hard code exact filename printed out to terminal just to test), then the file opens ok.

Does this line cause error?

ibuprofen_linux $chunk_to_translate

if so, add

echo "----------"
echo $ii
echo $split_dir
echo $chunk_to_translate
ls -l $split_dir
ls -l $chunk_to_translate
echo "----------"

before it. What do you get?

does ibuprofen_linux try to open any other files besides $chunk_to_translate?

--> amit_q : this is what came out

Max received packet size was 18824.
Data bytes received 5997416
Speed 5856.85 KB/s
1 - t6aa
2 - t6ab
3 - t6ac
4 -
Enter chunk # to translate: 2
chunk_to_translate == <t6_2000k/t6ab>
----------
5
t6_2000k
t6_2000k/t6ab
total 5384
-rw-rw-r--    1 kevo     sw1       2048000 Mar 21 17:46 t6aa
-rw-rw-r--    1 kevo     sw1       2048000 Mar 21 17:46 t6ab
-rw-rw-r--    1 kevo     sw1       1901416 Mar 21 17:46 t6ac
ls: t6_2000k/t6ab: No such file or directory
Exit 1
----------
File not found or file cannot be opened.
Exit 255

--> ozo : no it doesn't open any other file

FYI : If i don't create the new directory, and not spliting the file....it works fine

How long does split command take? Is script blocked when the split is happening? You can check by adding date command before and after split command

date
split -b $chunk_size $filename $split_dir/$filename
date

and inanimately after the script throws error what do you get if you do

ls -l t6_2000k/t6ab

Use the same filename that threw the error as soon as possible.

--> amit_q : putting date around split command resulted

Speed 6613.22 KB/s
Wed Mar 21 17:59:31 PDT 2007
Wed Mar 21 17:59:32 PDT 2007
1 - t8aa

Try to put a larger sleep (say a min or so). A 5Gb file getting splitted in 1 seconds with 2 new files of 2 GB and 1 new file of 1 GB doesn't seem right. It has to take more than 1 seconds. What o/s you have?

Also as soon as you get the error, do ls -l of the same file that caused error. You probably would get the same error if you execute the ls -l soon enough after the completion (failure) of the script.

Nevermind, it is 5MB not GB as I misunderstood.

try
echo "chunk_to_translate == <$chunk_to_translate>" | od -c

--> amit_q : it's 5MB not 5GB, and you're right, ls also returns fail

chunk_to_translate == <t1_2000k/t1ab>
File not found or file cannot be opened.
Exit 255
ls: t6_2000k/t6ab: No such file or directory
Exit 1

is there anything wrong with my string $chunk_to_translate ? maybe any hidden chracter even though i didn't see it in echo

--> ozo : here is the output

Speed 5149.01 KB/s
Wed Mar 21 18:09:14 PDT 2007
Wed Mar 21 18:09:15 PDT 2007
1 - t2aa
2 - t2ab
3 - t2ac
4 -
Enter chunk # to translate: 2
0000000   c   h   u   n   k   _   t   o   _   t   r   a   n   s   l   a
0000020   t   e       =   =       <   t   2   _   2   0   0   0   k   /
0000040 033   [   0   0   m   t   2   a   b 033   [   0   0   m   >  \n
0000060
File not found or file cannot be opened.
Exit 255

is the "\n" throw me off ? if so, how do I get rid of it ?

I suspect  the 033   [   0   0   m may be be part of the problem

\n should not be problem, there is something weired in the beginning though.

don't be alarmed by the prefix name such as "t1, t2, t3 ....etc"

I specified that name.

Could you also do

ls t6_2000k | od -c

--> ozo : I agree with you. Where are those 033 [...etc comes from ? how to get rid of it ?

--> amit_q : here is the result

Speed 5567.98 KB/s
Wed Mar 21 18:19:01 PDT 2007
Wed Mar 21 18:19:02 PDT 2007
1 - t3aa
2 - t3ab
3 - t3ac
4 -
Enter chunk # to translate: 2
0000000   c   h   u   n   k   _   t   o   _   t   r   a   n   s   l   a
0000020   t   e       =   =       <   t   3   _   2   0   0   0   k   /
0000040 033   [   0   0   m   t   3   a   b 033   [   0   0   m   >  \n
0000060
ls: t6_2000k: No such file or directory
0000000 033   [   0   0   m 033   [   m   E   x   i   t       1  \n
0000017
Exit 1
File not found or file cannot be opened.
Exit 255
ls: t6_2000k/t6ab: No such file or directory

can you show your
man ls

--> ozo : you're absolutely right. it's the color that threw me off.
Brilliant !

thanks both of you for your time on this. Thanks to amit_q for pointing out the bug. I'll split the points.

for the record : I have my ls aliases to "ls-F --color"

That was a great catch ozo.

Add

unalias *

in the beginning of your script to remove all aliases for the script.