diff --git a/scripts/mkspec-wrapper.sh b/scripts/mkspec-wrapper.sh
index 39ca236f..25d33415 100644
--- a/scripts/mkspec-wrapper.sh
+++ b/scripts/mkspec-wrapper.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-#!/bin/sh -x
+#!/bin/bash
 
 MYNAME=`basename $0`
 ID=`whoami`
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ FILTER_DEVEL='/include/.*.h$\|devel\|make\|lib.*\.a$\|lib.*\.so$\|.*\.exp$\|.*\.
 
 usage()
 {
-	echo usage: $MYNAME /path/to/mkspec.sh -h [-N name] [-T topdir] [-V version] [-S source] [-R requires] [-P project]
+	echo usage: $MYNAME /path/to/mkspec.sh -h [-N name] [-T topdir] [-V version] [-S source] [-R requires] [-P project] >&2
 	[ "$1" ] && exit $1
 }
 
@@ -37,25 +37,25 @@ case $1 in
 		NAME="$2"
 		shift;;
 	-R)
-		while [ "`echo $2 | cut -c1`" != "-" ]; do
+		while [ "${2:0:1}" != - ]; do
 			REQUIRES_RUN="$REQUIRES_RUN $2"
 			shift
 		done
 		;;
 	-X)
-		while [ "`echo $2 | cut -c1`" != "-" ]; do
+		while [ "${2:0:1}" != - ]; do
 			CONFLICTS_RUN="$CONFLICTS_RUN $2"
 			shift
 		done
 		;;
 	-D)
-		while [ "`echo $2 | cut -c1`" != "-" ]; do
+		while [ "${2:0:1}" != - ]; do
 			REQUIRES_DEVEL="$REQUIRES_DEVEL $2"
 			shift
 		done
 		;;
 	-Y)
-		while [ "`echo $2 | cut -c1`" != "-" ]; do
+		while [ "${2:0:1}" != - ]; do
 			CONFLICTS_DEVEL="$CONFLICTS_DEVEL $2"
 			shift
 		done