c program binary cannot run in sh

Question

I have cross-compiled an executable from c code for an arm-based embedded system. When I execute the binary in the embedded system, it gives the following error:

line 1: syntax error: unexpected word (expecting ")")

I searched around, and figured out it is because the embedded system (some version of Linux) I am using does not have bash but only sh . Is it possible to make my compiled binary executable using sh , without installing bash in it (which is troublesome)?

Answer 1

Binaries are not built for the shell program. They are built for a particular architecture and OS environment. All shell does is, fork() a child process and calls exec() . So it won't matter whether your host machine is having bash or sh . Just make sure that binary is for the correct architecture and the machine. And you are indeed executing the binary, not the source.