ShellCheck is a static analysis tool for bash scripts that identifies syntax errors, common bugs, and style issues. Install with apt install shellcheck.

How do I prevent this?

Configure your editor to use LF line endings for shell scripts. In VS Code, click CRLF in the status bar and switch to LF.

Linux Bash Syntax Error Near Unexpected Token

Warningbash errors

Overview

Bash 'syntax error near unexpected token' occurs due to scripting mistakes like mismatched quotes, missing semicolons, or Windows line endings in scripts.

Key Details

One of the most common bash scripting errors
The error message points to the token where bash got confused
Common tokens: '(', ')', 'do', 'done', 'fi', 'then', newline
Windows carriage returns (\r) are invisible but cause this error
Missing or extra quotes, brackets, or keywords cause parsing failures

Common Causes

Script created/edited on Windows containing \r\n line endings
Missing 'then' after 'if' condition or 'do' after 'for/while'
Mismatched or unclosed quotes (single or double)
Missing semicolon before 'then', 'do', or closing keywords
Copy-pasted code containing smart quotes or invisible Unicode characters

Steps

1Check for Windows line endings: cat -A script.sh (look for ^M at line ends)
2Convert line endings: dos2unix script.sh or sed -i 's/\r$//' script.sh
3Run bash syntax check without executing: bash -n script.sh
4Check for unmatched quotes: grep -n '"' script.sh | wc -l (should be even)
5Use shellcheck: shellcheck script.sh for comprehensive linting

More in Bash Errors

linux-bash-exit-code-1Linux Bash Exit Code 1 — General Error

Warning

linux-bash-exit-code-2Linux Bash Exit Code 2 — Misuse of Shell Builtin