Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!decvax!harpo!seismo!hao!hplabs!sri-unix!jbray@bbn-unix From: jbray@bbn-unix@sri-unix.UUCP Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards Subject: Re: funny characters in filenames Message-ID: <3772@sri-arpa.UUCP> Date: Wed, 3-Aug-83 09:46:52 EDT Article-I.D.: sri-arpa.3772 Posted: Wed Aug 3 09:46:52 1983 Date-Received: Sat, 6-Aug-83 03:33:24 EDT Lines: 54 From: James Bray1) 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'. I could care less about the origin of the discussion. I got involved because a user, specifically a user at the Network Operations Center, had this problem of having --unknown to her-- her .profile blown away, and having gotten a few '\b's into a filename before she realized this. This user is not a hacker, but she is no "moron". I am sick and tired of elitist hackers who think that everyone who is not one of them is a "moron". And I think we can all agree that we have a certain vested interest in the proper operation of the Network Operations Center... 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. We support extended USG. In any case post-mortems do little for the patient. 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! Unix is getting taken seriously as an operating system, and not just a hacker's toy. Some changes may well be necessary to accomodate the real people who use it. So far we have heard no one claim to actually want to put control characters in filenames. A capability that no one wants to use but that can cause trouble if anyone inadvertently takes advantage of it is a decided misfeature. I would be most interested to hear from the Founding Fathers if they allowed control characters by design, by omission, or by pdp11 address-space saving... I would also be most interested to hear from anyone who thinks there is a legitimate use for control characters in filenames, because if there is I will not disallow them. But we sell our Unix, we don't just play with it, and I feel a certain responsibility to those users out there who are much less experienced than our NOC controller, and who don't have a handy hacker just four digits away... 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 interestinbeaver Organization: University of Washington, Dept. of Computer Science Contact: James Rees Phone: (206) 545-0912 Postal-Address: FR-35, Seatt