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165

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how can i know version of echo command as specified in the man page for echo echo --version should output version of echo command is it a bug in echo command or its documentation.. plz explain.. same is the case with echo help!!

+7  A: 

You are probably hitting the shell builtin echo. Try using the real program

/bin/echo --version

For a help section of the builtin echo, try

help echo

And for its manpage, try

man bash

If you are using the bash as your shell

Johannes Schaub - litb
+1  A: 

That's probably because the echo you use is the one intergrated in bash.

/bin/echo --version

will force calling the echo from coreutils, and show its version.

fvu
A: 

For more information on "builtins" check the builtins man page (bash specific, basically the "builtins" section of the main, extensive bash man page)

LapTop006
how can i force the shell.. to use the normal echo program instead of the shell builtin..the shell first looks up for builtins before searching this in path environment variable..How can I bypass this step??thanx..
Neeraj