Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!phil.rice@rand-relay From: phil.rice@rand-relay@sri-unix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards Subject: Re: funny characters in filenames Message-ID: <3733@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Tue, 2-Aug-83 13:02:28 EDT Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.3733 Posted: Tue Aug 2 13:02:28 1983 Date-Received: Fri, 5-Aug-83 11:06:51 EDT Lines: 37 From: Bill.LeFebvreThis is in response to all the articles that have been suggesting alternate sets of legal characters for file names, and specifically in response to James Bray @ bbn-unix. 1) Restricting the characters to the range of printable ASCII characters (>= ' ' and <= \177) does not solve the original problem that started this whole discussion. If you recall, that discussion dealt with giving filenames that had shell meta-characters to a `system'. 2) The UCB `ls' (as has been pointed out before) has an option (`-b' if you're interested) so that an `od' of a directory is not necessary to see unusual file names. I have no idea what system you normally use. 3) There are THREE illegal characters in 4.1BSD filenames. Two have been mentioned previously: '\0' and '/'. '\257' is also illegal (this is a slash with the eighth bit on). 4) I have always been disgusted with operating systems that restrict file names in unnecessary manners. Unix is the ONLY operating system that I have found that places no arbitrary restrictions on file names. The three restricted characters are forbidden for very obvious reasons. Anything else would be unnecessary. I may agree with disallowing characters with the eighth bit on, but all the other restrictions seem totally arbitrary and unnecessary. Unix has never taken the "protect the moron" attitude before, let's not start it now! 5) I'm getting sick and tired of seeing messages about file names. We have beaten the topic to death. Shall we go on to something a little more interesting? William LeFebvre ARPANet: phil.rice@Rand-Relay CSNet: phil@rice USENet: ...!lbl-csam!rice!phil