How can I match a string with a regex in Bash?

Question

I am trying to write a bash script that contains a function so when given a .tar, .tar.bz2, .tar.gz etc. file it uses tar with the rel

Answer 1

To match regexes you need to use the =~ operator.

Try this:

[[ sed-4.2.2.tar.bz2 =~ tar.bz2$ ]] && echo matched

Alternatively, you can use wildcards (instead of regexes) with the == operator:

[[ sed-4.2.2.tar.bz2 == *tar.bz2 ]] && echo matched

If portability is not a concern, I recommend using [[ instead of [ or test as it is safer and more powerful. See What is the difference between test, [ and [[ ? for details.