On Tue, Dec 31, 2013 at 12:02:21PM -0700, Bob Proulx wrote:
> Julian Gilbey wrote:
> > I can't find much rhyme or reason to this one. ls | head or ls -l |
> > head sometimes dies with a broken pipe, but other times it doesn't.
>
> Your report sounds like the classic problem of what happens when
> people ignore SIGPIPE in the shell. Some years back this was a
> widespread problem. Perhaps you have a SIGPIPE trap handler set in
> your shell?
Hi Bob!
I'm not aware of having a SIGPIPE trap handler set in my shell.
> If this is the issue you see then the solution is to locate where
> SIGPIPE is being ignored and remove it so that it can terminate the
> writing process appropriately. I can say more and explain the issue
> in more detail if this is the problem.
>
> What is the output of 'trap' at the command line?
Here's some output - it doesn't seem to be obviously the problem
you've described, but it is certainly shell-related, or perhaps
terminal related:
erdos:~ $ trap
trap -- '' SIGTSTP
trap -- '' SIGTTIN
trap -- '' SIGTTOU
erdos:~ $ yes | head -n1
y
yes: standard output: Broken pipe
yes: write error
erdos:~ $ set | grep TRAP
erdos:~ $ set | grep trap
--buildresult --aptcache --removepackages --extrapackages
--configfile \
--compressprog --debootstrapopts --save-after-login
--save-after-exec \
--debootstrap' -- "$cur" ));
erdos:~ $ sh
$ yes | head -n1
y
yes: standard output: Broken pipe
yes: write error
$
erdos:~ $ dash
$ yes | head -n1
y
yes: standard output: Broken pipe
yes: write error
$
erdos:~ $ csh
erdos{~}% yes | head -n1
y
yes: standard output: Broken pipe
yes: write error
erdos{~}% exit
exit
But if I log in at a console or via ssh:
erdos:~ $ ssh localhost
Linux erdos 3.11-2-amd64 #1 SMP Debian 3.11.10-1 (2013-12-04) x86_64
The programs included with the Debian GNU/Linux system are free software;
the exact distribution terms for each program are described in the
individual files in /usr/share/doc/*/copyright.
Debian GNU/Linux comes with ABSOLUTELY NO WARRANTY, to the extent
permitted by applicable law.
You have mail.
Last login: Tue Dec 31 20:46:36 2013
erdos:~ $ yes | head -n1
y
erdos:~ $
I can't see anything obviously different in the environments which
would account for this difference in behaviour, though :-(
I'm running under xfce4 in an xfce4-terminal, if that helps.
Bemused,
Julian
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