GNU bug report logs - #34988
mv: omit useless 'overwrite?' question

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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: mv: check before asking users useless questions
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2019 14:05:59 +0800

$ mv a b
mv: overwrite 'b'? y
mv: cannot overwrite non-directory 'b' with directory 'a'

User thinks well why didn't you check before uselessly asking me?

Full story:
$ mkdir a
$ touch b
mv: overwrite 'b'? y
mv: cannot overwrite non-directory 'b' with directory 'a'
$ \mv a b
mv: cannot overwrite non-directory 'b' with directory 'a'
$ alias
alias mv='mv -i'

So even if -i is in effect, please do the check before asking users
useless questions.

Message #8 received at 34988 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Leslie S Satenstein <lsatenstein <at> yahoo.com>
To: 34988 <at> debbugs.gnu.org, 
 積丹尼 Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>
Subject: Re: bug#34988: mv: check before asking users useless questions
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2019 14:10:32 +0000 (UTC)

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

Did you consider that more than one terminal can be open, and at the second terminal, "b" could be renamed before replying to the mv command?

Regards 
 Leslie
 Leslie Satenstein
Montréal Québec, Canada

 

    On Monday, March 25, 2019, 2:07:25 a.m. EDT, 積丹尼 Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org> wrote:  
 
 $ mv a b
mv: overwrite 'b'? y
mv: cannot overwrite non-directory 'b' with directory 'a'

User thinks well why didn't you check before uselessly asking me?

Full story:
$ mkdir a
$ touch b
mv: overwrite 'b'? y
mv: cannot overwrite non-directory 'b' with directory 'a'
$ \mv a b
mv: cannot overwrite non-directory 'b' with directory 'a'
$ alias
alias mv='mv -i'

So even if -i is in effect, please do the check before asking users
useless questions.



  

[Message part 2 (text/html, inline)]

Message #11 received at 34988 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>
To: 積丹尼 Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>,
 34988 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#34988: mv: check before asking users useless questions
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 2019 15:47:05 -0700

On 3/24/19 11:05 PM, 積丹尼 Dan Jacobson wrote:
> $ mv a b
> mv: overwrite 'b'? y
> mv: cannot overwrite non-directory 'b' with directory 'a'
>
> User thinks well why didn't you check before uselessly asking me?

POSIX requires the useless question. That being said, the question could
be omitted in the case you describe, if POSIXLY_CORRECT is not specified.

Message #14 received at 34988 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: 積丹尼 Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>
To: Leslie S Satenstein <lsatenstein <at> yahoo.com>
Cc: 34988 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#34988: mv: check before asking users useless questions
Date: Tue, 26 Mar 2019 12:44:30 +0800

>>>>> "LSS" == Leslie S Satenstein <lsatenstein <at> yahoo.com> writes:
LSS> Did you consider that more than one terminal can be open, and at the
LSS> second terminal, "b" could be renamed before replying to the mv
LSS> command?

I don't know about all that. Let's hope the designers consider all aspects.

Message #17 received at 34988 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Assaf Gordon <assafgordon <at> gmail.com>
To: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>, 積丹尼 Dan Jacobson <jidanni <at> jidanni.org>, 34988 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#34988: mv: check before asking users useless questions
Date: Thu, 28 Mar 2019 12:00:05 -0600

tags 34988 notabug
severity 34988 wishlist
retitle 34988 mv: omit useless 'overwrite?' question
stop

On 2019-03-25 4:47 p.m., Paul Eggert wrote:
> On 3/24/19 11:05 PM, 積丹尼 Dan Jacobson wrote:
>> $ mv a b
>> mv: overwrite 'b'? y
>> mv: cannot overwrite non-directory 'b' with directory 'a'
>>
>> User thinks well why didn't you check before uselessly asking me?
> 
> POSIX requires the useless question. That being said, the question could
> be omitted in the case you describe, if POSIXLY_CORRECT is not specified.
> 

Marking this as a wishlist item.

-assaf

Message #26 received at 34988 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Leslie S Satenstein <lsatenstein <at> yahoo.com>
Subject: Bırthday Gift
Date: Wed, 28 Sep 2022 13:58:55 +0000 (UTC)

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

Hi hope you are safe and good. I want to ask for a discrete assistance, do you order gifts and items on Amazon?

Regards Leslie
Leslie Satenstein
Montréal Québec, Canada

[Message part 2 (text/html, inline)]

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