setting variables in linux

Quick question:
I seem to recall (my Linux days were a long time ago) that when you are trying to set a variable - say, x - to a value - say, 4 - you simply type:

x=4

Shell is giving me the following error when I do that:

"x=4: Command Not Found".

All my research seems to indicate that simply typing "x=4" should be the right thing to do.

Any suggestions? Where exactly have I screwed up?

Make sure there are no spaces between the "x" and the "=" and the "4". It could be as simple as that.

Thank you, cnamejj, for your timely response!!!
Thought it might have been a shell issue.
Not sure exactly what happened. For some reason, it now works (in tcsh, I have to use "set x=4" - which, interestingly enough, wasn't working either, the last time I tried).

Quote:

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Originally Posted by forrest_gump

"x=4: Command Not Found".

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Hi,

That is definitely is a csh/tcsh error. You already noted you need to use "set" in front of it. The spaces don't matter in csh/tcsh, provided that you are consistent, e.g.:

Code:

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> set x=4;  echo $x
4
> set x = 5; echo $x
5

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You can also use setenv in csh/tcsh, e.g.:

Code:

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setenv x 4

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although that variable will be set for all subsequent sub-shells. Using set will hold a variable only for that shell (thus good for scripts).

btw, welcome aboard!