Re: [PATCH] make "cp -i -f" behaves like "cp -f" instead of like "cp -i"

[Bob Proulx]

Thierry Vignaud wrote:
> Eric Blake <address@hidden> writes:
> > > - if a distro define a default alias 'cp -i' for cp in order to
> > >   prevent users to shoot themselves in the foot, it's nice to be
> > >   able to overwrite it.
> > 
> > The user can undo what the distro did, either in their startup
> > scripts, or with the one-shot \cp.
> 
> /bin/cp and \cp are less intuitive

The the user shouldn't have to "fix" what distros break.  This is a
pet peeve of mine about some distros and commands they alias in the
system part of the shell startup.  Distros should not make global
configurations that require users to keep long lists of fixes undoing
things for each distro in their profile.

Right now the user must fix this by unaliasing the alias installed by
the distro in the system config.  Then complain loudly to the vendor
that the vendor is not helping them.  Or if they are the box admin
they can "fix" the system side of the scripts.  However then they will
have to fix it with every update to that package.

If that is not sufficient then they can always walk with their feet
and pick a different distro that does not negatively impact every user
on the system.

Bob