My bash script keeps telling me my directory doesn't exist even though it does [duplicate]

Question

I have a script and when I run it, it returns

Directory not found: ~/Pictures/Wallpaper

The script is as follows:

#!/bin/bash
# Check if the wallpaper directory exists
if [ ! -d "$WALLPAPER_DIR" ]; then
  echo "Directory not found: $WALLPAPER_DIR"
  exit 1
fi

# Get currently loaded wallpaper
CURRENT_WALL=$(hyprctl hyprpaper listloaded)

# Get a random wallpaper that is not the current one
IMAGE=$(find "$WALLPAPER_DIR" -type f ! -name "$(basename "$CURRENT_WALL")" | -iname "*.jpg" -o -iname "*.png" -o -iname "*.jpeg" | shuf -n 1)

# Verify that an image was found
if [ -z "$IMAGE" ]; then
  echo "No images found in $WALLPAPER_DIR"
  exit 1
fi

The $WALLPAPER_DIR environment variable is configured in my hyprland.conf file and it has a value of ~/Pictures/Wallpaper that I have verified. I have run the echo $WALLPAPER_DIR command it returns with

~/Pictures/Wallpaper

I'm rather perplexed as to why it is returning with the negative of the if statement when the variable and folder do in fact exist.

Answer 1

Tilde expansion will not happen on variable expansion or when quoted, you need to store the full path or use $HOME instead. This also will not expand when the variable is expanded but rather on the assignment so you need to ensure double quotes are used and not single quotes.

WALLPAPER_DIR="$HOME/Pictures/Wallpaper"

Tilde expansion will happen on variable assignment though provided it is not quoted, but this opens the doors for a lot of pitfalls particularly around whitespace:

WALLPAPER_DIR=~/Pictures/Wallpaper