On Tue, Oct 20, 2009 at 12:59 AM, Bob Proulx <b...@proulx.com> wrote: > Todd Partridge wrote: >> The cp command will copy to a subdirectory without an appending / > > You have reached bug-bash, not bug-coreutils. The 'cp' program is in > the GNU Coreutils project and so bug reports for 'cp' should go to > bug-coreut...@gnu.org and not to bug-bash. The bug-bash list is for > bugs and discussion about bash. > >> mkdir test test2 >> touch abc test >> touch bcd test2 > > I think you have typed this in incorrectly. That produces: > > ./abc > ./bcd > ./test > ./test2
Yes, I did. The correct syntax, would be: mkdir test test2 touch abc test/ touch bcd test2/ > >> cp -R test2 test > > Because test is a directory test2 will be copied into that directory. > With the above that produces: > > ./abc > ./bcd > ./test > ./test/test2 > ./test2 > >> ls test >> test2 abc > > That result cannot be produced from the given commands. Please > rephrase the question. ? I was tired last night :), the good typing would be: ls test/ test2 abc > >> Since the cp command can also rename > > I think you misunderstand how cp works. A quick and casual summary > here. If the target is not a directory then the source file > (singular) is copied to the destination. If the target is a directory > then cp copies the source files (one or more) into the destination > directory. If the target has an appended '/' then the destination > must be a directory. Because the cp command also renames, I understand the default behavior to assume that you want to cp. But I believe the default behavior to assume a directory 'test/' when typing 'test' would lead to more problems for advanced users. Feedback that 'directory already exists' I think would be a more direct behavior. Hmm. > > Here is the full standards document: > > http://www.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/009695399/utilities/cp.html > >> I think the proper behavior here for 'cp -R test2 test' would be to >> error and print that 'Folder already exists'. > > Of course that would break decades of scripts which expect the > standard behavior. I don't understand why would you change this long > standing useful behavior. Could you say a few words more about what > your problem is with the current behavior? Yeah, well there is little doubt that this would break things :). For advanced users I would actually see this as a benefit though we probably are all responsible for the occasional forgetting of appending a backslash. > >> Appending a / would imply the directory: >> cp -R test2 test/ >> This usage will remove the ambiguity of the command between the copy >> function and the rename function. > > Please rephrase your question and send it to bug-coreut...@gnu.org. > > Thanks > Bob > Appreciate the email bob, will get with bug-coreut...@gnu.org. -- When in trouble or in doubt run in circles, scream and shout. - Robert A. Heinlein My Linux Blog - http://linuxtidbits.wordpress.com