Script to compile software on a loop for stress testing

#!/bin/bash

let "loopcounter = 0"

# record the start time (overwrites any existing count)
echo `date` > compile-loop.count

# create a place to install the package in tmpfs
if [ ! -d "/var/tmp/portage/package" ]
then
  rm -rf /var/tmp/portage/package
  mkdir /var/tmp/portage/package
  chown portage:portage /var/tmp/portage/package
  chmod 775 /var/tmp/portage/package
fi

while :
do
  # emerge a package (default mesa if no argument supplied)

  if [ -z "$1" ]
  then
    PKGDIR="/var/tmp/portage/package" emerge -B -1 mesa
  else
    PKGDIR="/var/tmp/portage/package" emerge -B -1 "$1"
  fi

  # Here we check for error and exit the loop.

  if [ $? -ne 0 ]
  then
    # record the number of successful loops and the finish time
    echo $loopcounter >> compile-loop.count
    echo `date` >> compile-loop.count
    break
  fi

  ((loopcounter++))

done