Re: [SLUG] Escaping illegal characters in filenames - how?
On Thu, Oct 7, 2010 at 4:55 PM, Chris Donovan alienreside...@gmail.com wrote: So the command could be mv ./-.mxf newname.mxf. Another way that you may find handy in the future when using system utilities is the -- argument eg: rm -- -filname. The example removes the file -filename. The argument -- often signifies end of arguments, and anything after that is translated as non-arguments to the command. It's used quite a bit in GNU tools, and I'd guess maybe more tools. Thanks to those who replied so promptly. Clue has been restored to mental processes, and perhaps most importantly, (l)user has been attacked with seriously large clue stick and told to not do it again! DaZZa -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] Escaping illegal characters in filenames - how?
On Friday 08 October 2010 08:03:32 DaZZa wrote: perhaps most importantly, (l)user has been attacked with seriously large clue stick and told to not do it again! Why? The only illegal characters in file names on a UNIX or Linux file system (including ext2 and ext3) are the forward slash (because it is the path separator) and NUL (because it is the string terminator). Everything else is perfectly legitimate to use (including having a file named -rf *, which would only catch a very careless remover of the file) -- Regards, Troy Rollo Solicitor Parry Carroll Commercial Lawyers Direct: (02) 8257 3177 Fax: (02) 9221 1375 Switch: (02) 9221 3899 E-mail: t...@parrycarroll.com.au Web: www.parrycarroll.com.au Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation This message and any attachments are confidential to Parry Carroll. If you have received it my mistake, please let us know by reply and then delete it from your system. You must not copy the message, alter it or disclose its contents to anyone. Thank you. -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] Escaping illegal characters in filenames - how?
On Fri, Oct 8, 2010 at 10:19 AM, Troy Rollo t...@parrycarroll.com.au wrote: On Friday 08 October 2010 08:03:32 DaZZa wrote: perhaps most importantly, (l)user has been attacked with seriously large clue stick and told to not do it again! Why? The only illegal characters in file names on a UNIX or Linux file system (including ext2 and ext3) are the forward slash (because it is the path separator) and NUL (because it is the string terminator). Everything else is perfectly legitimate to use (including having a file named -rf *, which would only catch a very careless remover of the file) Because the over-lying system which interacts with the Unix filesystem doesn't deal with filenames which begin with a -. it breaks essential functionality when manipulating the files from the higher layer program. DaZZa -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] Escaping illegal characters in filenames - how?
On Friday 08 October 2010 10:41:40 DaZZa wrote: Because the over-lying system which interacts with the Unix filesystem doesn't deal with filenames which begin with a -. it breaks essential functionality when manipulating the files from the higher layer program. What program is that? I don't recall any serious program that could not deal rationally with such file names. -- Regards, Troy Rollo Solicitor Parry Carroll Commercial Lawyers Direct: (02) 8257 3177 Fax: (02) 9221 1375 Switch: (02) 9221 3899 E-mail: t...@parrycarroll.com.au Web: www.parrycarroll.com.au Liability limited by a scheme approved under Professional Standards Legislation This message and any attachments are confidential to Parry Carroll. If you have received it my mistake, please let us know by reply and then delete it from your system. You must not copy the message, alter it or disclose its contents to anyone. Thank you. -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] Escaping illegal characters in filenames - how?
On Friday 08 October 2010 09:00:03 slug-requ...@slug.org.au wrote: perhaps most importantly, (l)user has been attacked with seriously large clue stick and told to not do it again! Why? The only illegal characters in file names on a UNIX or Linux file system (including ext2 and ext3) are the forward slash (because it is the path separator) and NUL (because it is the string terminator). Everything else is perfectly legitimate to use (including having a file named -rf *, which would only catch a very careless remover of the file) The nice thing with vi is that it is predictable and consistant ie you want the date in a document and have never done that before so yo do :r !date (read the output of the command 'date', and you can predict that) Likewise -- as an argument says no further options so mv -- -fr zot renames the file '-fr' to zot cp -- zot -fr copies zot to -fr rm -- -fr zot removes file '-fr' and file 'zot' rm -fr zot will recursivly remove directory zot even if the files in it are read only! so do beware James -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
[SLUG] Escaping illegal characters in filenames - how?
Folks. I've got an idiot user who has created a file on a Linux filesystem named -.mxf I need to rename this file, but can't for the life of me remember how to escape the - character so mv doesn't regard it as an option identifier. Can someone apply the cluestick, please? DaZZa -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] Escaping illegal characters in filenames - how?
On 7 October 2010 16:44, DaZZa dagi...@gmail.com wrote: Folks. I've got an idiot user who has created a file on a Linux filesystem named -.mxf I need to rename this file, but can't for the life of me remember how to escape the - character so mv doesn't regard it as an option identifier. Insert ./ in front of it so mv doesn't see the - at the beginning of the string and tries to interpret it as a flag. So the command could be mv ./-.mxf newname.mxf. --Amos -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] Escaping illegal characters in filenames - how?
On 7 October 2010 16:44, DaZZa dagi...@gmail.com wrote: Folks. I've got an idiot user who has created a file on a Linux filesystem named -.mxf I need to rename this file, but can't for the life of me remember how to escape the - character so mv doesn't regard it as an option identifier. Can someone apply the cluestick, please? DaZZa Hey, From the rm man page: To remove a file whose name starts with a `-', for example `-foo', use one of these commands: rm -- -foo rm ./-foo $ rm -- -.mxf Cheers, Owen. -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] Escaping illegal characters in filenames - how?
I've got an idiot user who has created a file on a Linux filesystem named -.mxf I need to rename this file, but can't for the life of me remember how to escape the - character so mv doesn't regard it as an option identifier. Insert ./ in front of it so mv doesn't see the - at the beginning of the string and tries to interpret it as a flag. So the command could be mv ./-.mxf newname.mxf. Another way that you may find handy in the future when using system utilities is the -- argument eg: rm -- -filname. The example removes the file -filename. The argument -- often signifies end of arguments, and anything after that is translated as non-arguments to the command. It's used quite a bit in GNU tools, and I'd guess maybe more tools. Chris- -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
Re: [SLUG] Escaping illegal characters in filenames - how?
DaZZa wrote: Folks. I've got an idiot user who has created a file on a Linux filesystem named -.mxf I need to rename this file, but can't for the life of me remember how to escape the - character so mv doesn't regard it as an option identifier. Can someone apply the cluestick, please? mv -- -.mxf foo.mxf -Andrew. -- SLUG - Sydney Linux User's Group Mailing List - http://slug.org.au/ Subscription info and FAQs: http://slug.org.au/faq/mailinglists.html
