Re: cp/mv: add -n option to not overwrite target (Ubuntu bug #229182)

[Pádraig Brady]

Kamil Dudka wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> proposed patch is attached.

This patch makes sense, however...

> diff --git a/src/mv.c b/src/mv.c
> index fc255f3..bfdf286 100644
> --- a/src/mv.c
> +++ b/src/mv.c
> @@ -310,8 +311,13 @@ Mandatory arguments to long options are mandatory for 
> short options too.\n\
>        fputs (_("\
>        --backup[=CONTROL]       make a backup of each existing destination 
> file\n\
>    -b                           like --backup but does not accept an 
> argument\n\
> -  -f, --force                  do not prompt before overwriting\n\
> -  -i, --interactive            prompt before overwrite\n\
> +  -f, --force                  do not prompt before overwriting  (The -f 
> option\n\
> +                                 overrides any previous -i or -n options.)\n\
> +  -i, --interactive            prompt before overwrite  (The -i option\n\
> +                                 overrides any previous -f or -n options.)\n\
> +  -n, --no-replace             do not overwrite an existing file  (The -n\n\
> +                                 option overrides any previous -f or -i\n\
> +                                 options.)\n\

This is actually now quite confusing/inaccurate. I think these 3 options
should be mutually exclusive. I.E. if more than 1 specified an
error should be printed. Also the descriptions should be changed
to something like:

-f    rename a file even if the destination is present and not writable
-i    always prompt before overwriting an existing file
-n    never overwrite an existing file

The same argument applies to `cp`, but s/rename/overwrite/ in the -f 
description.

cheers,
Pádraig.