Re: [coreutils-6.9] multiple utilities not handling escape char(\) properly when used with -, instead interpreting as option(could be a bash bug?)

[Andreas Schwab]

"Wilber Washbucket" <address@hidden> writes:

> ClarkConnect Community Edition release 4.0 (kernel 2.6.9-42.cc)
>
> I compiled the latest coreutils from source. Then I ran these series of 
> commands:
> coreutils-6.9]# mkdir testdir
> coreutils-6.9]# cd testdir/
> testdir]# ../src/touch +foo0
> testdir]# ../src/touch \+foo1
> testdir]# ../src/touch -bar0
> ../src/touch: invalid option -- e
> Try `../src/touch --help' for more information.
> ^^ That error is correct as the - char is used for options.

That is a variant of question 11 in the coreutils FAQ.

<http://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/faq/coreutils-faq.html#How-do-I-remove-files-that-start-with-a-dash_003f>

> testdir]# ../src/touch \-bar1
> ../src/touch: invalid option -- e
> Try `../src/touch --help' for more information.
> ^^ This is wrong, this should work!!

The backslash has been removed by the shell before the touch command has
seen it.  Try prefixing all your tries with echo to seen the actual
command line that is executed.

Btw., when I try to execute that command, I get a different error:

../src/touch: invalid option -- b
Try `../src/touch --help' for more information.

Andreas.

-- 
Andreas Schwab, SuSE Labs, address@hidden
SuSE Linux Products GmbH, Maxfeldstraße 5, 90409 Nürnberg, Germany
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