Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!hao!oddjob!mimsy!chris From: chris@mimsy.UUCP (Chris Torek) Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards Subject: Re: more rm insanity Message-ID: <9593@mimsy.UUCP> Date: Wed, 2-Dec-87 05:13:06 EST Article-I.D.: mimsy.9593 Posted: Wed Dec 2 05:13:06 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 5-Dec-87 14:08:41 EST References: <1257@boulder.Colorado.EDU> <6840002@hpcllmv.HP.COM> <9555@mimsy.UUCP> <1890@celtics.UUCP> Organization: U of Maryland, Dept. of Computer Science, Coll. Pk., MD 20742 Lines: 49 >In article <9555@mimsy.UUCP> I asked: >>Why is it that people have so much trouble figuring out how to remove >>files whose names start with `-'? In article <1890@celtics.UUCP> roger@celtics.UUCP (Roger B.A. Klorese) writes: >one [might] expect, as with other operating systems, that the process is: > >- pick up the command and its options from the entered command >- pick up the filenames to which the command is to be applied from the > supplied filenames, expanding wildcards if necessary Even if naive users do hold this (incorrect) belief, why, after discovering the file called `-b' in the current directory and trying to `rm -b' and then `rm -*' and `?b', do these people not think `grr, what a stupid rm, it expands the ?b and *then* looks to see if it has an option ... how do I tell thething not to do that?' Experience tells me that they *do* think this, which makes it the basic problem worse yet. In an attempt to get them to learn something about the system, I sometimes answer with this: 0. Every file has more than one name. Tell me another name for the file `-b' in your current directory. It has yet to work, so I expand a bit: 1. Where is your home directory? After a small delay, I usually get the answer `~'. 2. Now what is another name for the file `-b' in your home directory? Sometimes I have to supply the answer for this, too: 3. One is ~/-b. Notice anything special about this name versus that other one? Most of them catch on at this point, but sometimes it takes two more questions: 4. What is the first character of each of those two names? 5. What character precedes rm options? At the end of the six-questions game, they have all figured it out. Do they learn something? I wish I could tell. . . . -- In-Real-Life: Chris Torek, Univ of MD Comp Sci Dept (+1 301 454 7690) Domain: chris@mimsy.umd.edu Path: uunet!mimsy!chris