On Thu, Sep 02, 2021 at 11:10:54PM +0100, Jason McIntyre wrote: > On Thu, Sep 02, 2021 at 02:28:54PM -0700, Evan Silberman wrote: > > Speaking of the first sentence of rm(1): > > > > Remove extraneous word from command description > > > > "non-directory files" reads more naturally and means the same thing as > > "non-directory type files". > > > > true. > > i wonder if it was originally an attempt to not quote posix > (or posix attempting to not quote bsd). posix refers to removing > "directory entries", which seems more natural. > > regardless, rm can remove both directory entries/non-directory type > files as well as directories. although by default it does not remove > directories, i wonder if we could just say: > > The > .Nm > utility > attempts to remove any files specified on the command line. > > and NAME could be: > > - rm - remove directory entries > + rm - remove files > > but maybe that is unixical heresy? > > jmc >
i cannot really make up my mind here. posix and other bsds all use "remove directory entries" for NAME. i worry that my proposal would be needless change, and a lessening of valid terminology. so i probably reject my own proposal. on the other hand, the phrase "non-directory type files" is pretty awful. posix is clearer i think, sticking to "directory entries specified by each file argument".we could also use this: "directory entries specified on the command line". but that would feel like deliberately avoiding the term "file", which is clear and simple. just using "non-directory files" is also weird. i mean, you can very much remove directory files. jmc > > diff --git a/bin/rm/rm.1 b/bin/rm/rm.1 > > index a2526a36392..1be2bf31913 100644 > > --- a/bin/rm/rm.1 > > +++ b/bin/rm/rm.1 > > @@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ > > .Sh DESCRIPTION > > The > > .Nm > > -utility attempts to remove the non-directory type files specified on the > > +utility attempts to remove the non-directory files specified on the > > command line. > > If the permissions of the file do not permit writing, and the standard > > input device is a terminal, the user is prompted (on the standard error > >
