Subject: Re: bug#29069: bug#31043: [PATCH] changed presentation in 'File permissions' in 'numeric, modes'

From: Paul Eggert <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 13 Apr 2018 12:55:19 -0700

On 04/11/2018 05:44 AM, kalle wrote:
> I don't even know if this methodology of
> encoding information (I mean "symbolical notation rwx for owner =
> symbolical notation rwx = symbolical notation 111= interpreting 111
> numerically in binary = transforming to numerical octal 7") is just used
> in this special case or is used more generally throughout the GNU
> programs.

The symbolic notation's primary use is in the core GNU (and POSIX) 
utilities. It was introduced in Unix (a predecessor to GNU/Linux) and is 
standardized by POSIX. The symbolic notation is not generally used 
elsewhere, so it's good to document it in the coreutils manual. In 
contrast, octal numbers are generally used throughout computing and 
mathematics, and we shouldn't have to explain them here.

I'd be more sympathetic if octal numbers were required. But users don't 
have to use them; they can use symbolic modes. That's what symbolic 
modes were invented for: to help users who don't understand or like 
octal. The documentation should exploit this, not fight it.