---
name: "dejagnu"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "dejagnu"
version: "1.6.3-21"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/dejagnu"
---

# dejagnu(1)

DejaGnu auxiliary command launcher

## NAME

**dejagnu** – DejaGnu auxiliary command launcher

## SYNOPSIS

**dejagnu** ⟨*command*⟩ \[**--help** *options...*\]

**dejagnu** **--help**

**dejagnu** **--version**

## DESCRIPTION

The **dejagnu** command finds a script that implements the requested *command*, selects from multiple implementations if available according to a fixed internal list, and executes the command.

## OPTIONS

- **--help**

  Print a help message instead of running a command. If no command is given, prints brief usage for **dejagnu** itself.

- **-V**, **--version**

  Print a version banner for the launcher itself including the version of DejaGnu. Any command given is ignored.

- **-v**, **--verbose**

  Emit additional output describing the operation of the **dejagnu** launcher itself. This option is also passed on to the invoked command.

All arguments after the command name are passed to the invoked command.

## ENVIRONMENT

- DEJAGNULIBS

  If set, the location of DejaGnu's library in the filesystem. The search described in FILES does not happen if DEJAGNULIBS is set.

- AWK

  Full file name for an Awk interpreter that may or may not actually be GNU Awk. If not set, PATH will be searched for an **awk** program. If the Awk interpreter is actually GNU Awk, the **--posix** option will be given if an Awk implementation is used.

- GAWK

  Full file name for GNU Awk.  If not set, PATH will be searched for a **gawk** program.

- BASH

  Full file name for GNU Bash.  If not set, PATH will be searched for a **bash** program. Note that Bash itself sets this variable, even when run as **sh**, even when running a script.

- EXPECT

  Full file name for Expect, which is a Tcl interpreter with the Expect extension already loaded.  If not set, PATH will be searched for an **expect** program.  Note that the DejaGnu core is written in Expect, so this interpreter should always be available.

- TCLSH

  Full file name for a Tcl interpreter.  If not set, PATH will be searched for a **tclsh** program.

Note that GNU Awk is considered a superset of Awk and that Expect is considered a superset of Tcl, allowing the former to be used to run scripts written for the latter. This means that, while Awk programs will generally be run with GNU extensions disabled using the **--posix** option to GNU Awk, Tcl programs may be run with either **tclsh** or **expect** and should be written accordingly.

## FILES

- *$DEJAGNULIBS/commands*

  If DEJAGNULIBS is set, all command scripts are expected to be in this directory.

Otherwise, the first directory that actually exists in the following list is used, where *@bindir@* represents the directory containing **dejagnu** itself.

-

  *@bindir@/../share/dejagnu/commands*

-

  *@bindir@/../../share/dejagnu/commands*

-

  */usr/share/dejagnu/commands*

-

  */usr/local/share/dejagnu/commands*

## SEE ALSO

The full documentation for DejaGnu is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the **info** program is properly installed at your site, the command info dejagnu should give you access to the complete manual.

## AUTHORS

Jacob Bachmeyer

## BUGS

The command name must precede all other arguments due to limitations of the shell.