bug#8231: Bug in the linux command: tail

[Jim Meyering]

tags 8231 + notabug
thanks

Paul Eggert wrote:
> On 03/11/2011 03:14 PM, Alan Curry wrote:
>> tail -N of multiple files used to work with GNU tail, before someone
>> broke it
>
> I checked in that change, and it was to make "tail" compatible with
> both older BSD practice and with POSIX 1002.1-2001.  Any
> further changes in this area should retain compatibility with older
> BSD and with POSIX.  It's not as easy as it looks, I'm afraid.
>
> A simple workaround (much simpler than trying to modify "tail" :-)
> is to use "tail -n10 A B" instead of "tail -10 A B".

This issue was beaten to death about 6 months ago.
I conclude that there was no official "bug" (at least no contravention of
POSIX), and that no one is planning to change this aspect of tail's behavior.
So I've closed it.