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

[Philip Rowlands]

On Wed, 18 Jul 2007, Wilber Washbucket wrote:

> 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

Really? There is no option "e" specified.

> Try `../src/touch --help' for more information.
> ^^ That error is correct as the - char is used for options.
>
> testdir]# ../src/touch \-bar1
> ../src/touch: invalid option -- e
> Try `../src/touch --help' for more information.
> ^^ This is wrong, this should work!!

This isn't due to coreutils, nor is really a bash bug; rather it's an 
artifact of how shell escaping works. Please try "set +x" in bash to 
view the commandlines after escape-processing, to see how touch is 
actually seeing your commands.

> testdir]# ../src/mv +foo0 -bar5
> ../src/mv: invalid option -- e
> Try `../src/mv --help' for more information.
> ^^ That error is correct as the - char is used for options.

That's a slightly different issue. coreutils are permissive in their 
options parsing. By setting the environment variable POSIXLY_CORRECT, 
this command will complete without error.


Cheers,
Phil