GNU bug report logs - #17087
cp -i/yes gets ignored

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Message #11 received at 17087 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>
To: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>, 
 Karl Berry <karl <at> freefriends.org>
Cc: 17087 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#17087: cp -i/yes gets ignored
Date: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 23:25:48 -0700

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

Pádraig Brady wrote:
> That code has been there "from the beginning" and I'm guessing it's
> to prompt users to allow them to chmod the file in a separate terminal?

If we go back far enough (i.e., before commit 6bf3479 dated 2000-08-27), 
this message was output only if -f was also given.  More recently we've 
seen similar complaints, e.g.: 
http://lists.gnu.org/archive/html/bug-coreutils/2007-03/msg00130.html

At least the diagnostic wording could be improved so that users who are 
prompted don't get the false impression that the copy will succeed; 
POSIX clearly allows this.  I installed the attached patches (the second 
is just a code cleanup).  Perhaps that's enough.

[0001-cp-improve-quality-of-overwrite-prompt.patch (text/plain, attachment)]

[0002-cp-simplify-overwrite-logic.patch (text/plain, attachment)]

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