get_nl

echo "Checking echo to see how to suppress newlines..."
if (echo "hi\c"; echo " ") | grep c >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then
  echo "...using -n."; n=-n; c=
else
  cat <<EOM
...using \c
EOM
  n=; c='\c'
fi
if test "$fastread" != yes; then
  echo $n ..."The star should be here-->$c"; echo '*'
fi