Execute a shell function with timeout

Question

Why would this work

timeout 10s echo \"foo bar\" # foo bar

but this wouldn\'t

function echoFooBar {
  echo \"foo bar\"
}

e         


        

Answer 1

if you just want to add timeout as an additional option for the entire existing script, you can make it test for the timeout-option, and then make it call it self recursively without that option.

example.sh:

#!/bin/bash
if [ "$1" == "-t" ]; then
  timeout 1m $0 $2
else
  #the original script
  echo $1
  sleep 2m
  echo YAWN...
fi

running this script without timeout:

$./example.sh -other_option # -other_option
                            # YAWN...

running it with a one minute timeout:

$./example.sh -t -other_option # -other_option