gistfile1.txt

$ type foo
foo is a function
foo () 
{ 
    echo "foo";
    echo "bar";
    echo "running"
}
$ status=$(foo)
$ echo ${status}
foo bar running
$ if [ "${status}" == "running" ]; then true ; else false ; fi ; echo $?
1
$ if [[ "${status}" == "running" ]]; then true ; else false ; fi ; echo $?
1