GNU bug report logs - #19148
ls --inode --sort=inode

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: 積丹尼 Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>
To: bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org
Subject: ls --inode --sort=inode
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 07:57:49 +0800

$ man ls
       --sort=WORD
              sort  by  WORD instead of name: none (-U), size (-S), time (-t),
              version (-v), extension (-X)

Perhaps add new functionality: inode (-i)

Message #8 received at 19148 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Eric Blake <eblake <at> redhat.com>
To: 積丹尼 Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>,
 19148 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#19148: ls --inode --sort=inode
Date: Fri, 21 Nov 2014 17:33:14 -0700

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

On 11/21/2014 04:57 PM, 積丹尼 Dan Jacobson wrote:
> $ man ls
>        --sort=WORD
>               sort  by  WORD instead of name: none (-U), size (-S), time (-t),
>               version (-v), extension (-X)
> 
> Perhaps add new functionality: inode (-i)

Nice idea, especially since we've already proven that 'rm' and other
tasks run faster when it first sorts by inode internally.

To _some_ extent, you can get the behavior by doing:
  ls -iU | sort -k1,1n | sed 's/^[0-9]* //'
but since ls already is wired for sorting, it has a nice appeal to do it
all from with ls.  Also, my workaround doesn't help with ls outputs
other than single file per line, and isn't entirely robust if a filename
contains newline.

However, we CANNOT treat '--sort=inode' as equivalent to '-i', because
the existing meaning of -i does NOT affect sorting (all of the other
sort options -U, -S, -t, -v, and -X DO affect sorting, and --sort is
just a long-option-y way of spelling the same), and for back-compat
reasons, we cannot change the behavior of -i.  Also, I'm very reluctant
to burn another short-option letter for 'ls'.  Besides, since both '-i'
and '-I' are already burned, and what other good mnemonic would we even
have?

I guess it would be okay to have a long option with no short-option
counterpart; it would look a bit awkward in the help text, but we could
figure something out.

-- 
Eric Blake   eblake redhat com    +1-919-301-3266
Libvirt virtualization library http://libvirt.org

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Message #11 received at 19148 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
To: 積丹尼 Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>, 
 19148 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#19148: ls --inode --sort=inode
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 01:06:03 +0000

On 21/11/14 23:57, 積丹尼 Dan Jacobson wrote:
> $ man ls
>        --sort=WORD
>               sort  by  WORD instead of name: none (-U), size (-S), time (-t),
>               version (-v), extension (-X)
> 
> Perhaps add new functionality: inode (-i)

Yes maybe, especially when combined with -R.
Do you have a specific use case to help decide on applicability.
Note `find | sort` seems more suited for low level access like this.

thanks,
Pádraig.

Message #14 received at 19148 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: 積丹尼 Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>
To: Eric Blake <eblake <at> redhat.com>
Cc: 19148 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#19148: ls --inode --sort=inode
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 09:28:38 +0800

>>>>> "EB" == Eric Blake <eblake <at> redhat.com> writes:
EB> I guess it would be okay to have a long option with no short-option
EB> counterpart; it would look a bit awkward in the help text, but we could
EB> figure something out.

I thought that is why there was a separate --sort, just for those
cases... Ah.. Oh.. OK.

Anyway Pádraig, my usage case was **secret** (so dumb as to make this
bug report INVALID, so I'm not revealing it!)

Message #21 received at 19148 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: 積丹尼 Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>
To: 19148 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#19148 acknowledged by developer ()
Date: Sat, 22 Nov 2014 10:10:39 +0800

I still wish this

$ ls -i --sort=inode
ls: invalid argument ‘inode’ for ‘--sort’
Valid arguments are:
  - ‘none’
  - ‘time’
  - ‘size’
  - ‘extension’
  - ‘version’
Try 'ls --help' for more information.

worked.

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