Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!bellcore!rutgers!mit-eddie!uw-beaver!teknowledge-vaxc!sri-unix!quintus!ok From: ok@quintus.UUCP (Richard A. O'Keefe) Newsgroups: comp.unix.questions Subject: Re: More categories for aliases (was Re: something or other) Message-ID: <1047@cresswell.quintus.UUCP> Date: 2 Jun 88 04:55:11 GMT References: <1827@silver.bacs.indiana.edu> <1044@cresswell.quintus.UUCP> <1833@silver.bacs.indiana.edu> Distribution: na Organization: Quintus Computer Systems, Mountain View, CA Lines: 54 Posted: Wed Jun 1 21:55:11 1988 In article <1833@silver.bacs.indiana.edu>, creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (Steve Creps) writes: > In article <1044@cresswell.quintus.UUCP> ok@quintus.UUCP (Richard A. O'Keefe) writes: > >In article <1827@silver.bacs.indiana.edu>, creps@silver (Steve Creps) writes: > >> - To set default flags for a command (i.e. "alias rm rm -i" makes -i a default > >> flag for rm instead of -f) > >"-f" is NOT a default for rm. > > It is on our system (which runs Ultrix 2.0). Actually, from what I've heard > on the net, "-f" is indeed the default for rm on most Unix-based systems. At > least, I've heard people say "-f" is the default, but have never before heard > anyone say "-i" is. Somebody is confused here, and just for once I'm pretty sure it isn't me. I *have* checked the Ultrix manuals, also the SVID. There are THREE possible modes: -i Ask about *every* file DEFAULT Ask before removing a file if (standard input is a terminal) and (no write permission for file to be deleted) -f Don't ask about *any* files. "-f" is not the default in either System V or BSD, including Ultrix. The default mode hasn't got an option letter which can force it (but see below). Oddly enough, "-f" is redundant, the same effect can be obtained by doing rm /dev/tty -i -options.. files.. to ensure that the prompts go to the right place and the response is read from the right place. Recommendations: (1) R the FM carefully! (2) DO NOT ALIAS BASIC COMMANDS, you'll break scripts. (Or if you feel that you *must* alias basic commands, always write your scripts in Bournese so that they won't be broken.) (3) alias del 'rm /dev/tty -i \!*' (If you want something you can use in scripts.)