From unknown Sat Sep 13 00:11:33 2025 X-Loop: help-debbugs@gnu.org Subject: bug#38004: Default quoting of file names by ls (coreutils) Resent-From: Joshua Miller Original-Sender: "Debbugs-submit" Resent-CC: bug-coreutils@gnu.org Resent-Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2019 14:36:02 +0000 Resent-Message-ID: Resent-Sender: help-debbugs@gnu.org X-GNU-PR-Message: report 38004 X-GNU-PR-Package: coreutils X-GNU-PR-Keywords: To: 38004@debbugs.gnu.org X-Debbugs-Original-To: bug-coreutils@gnu.org Received: via spool by submit@debbugs.gnu.org id=B.157253254229951 (code B ref -1); Thu, 31 Oct 2019 14:36:02 +0000 Received: (at submit) by debbugs.gnu.org; 31 Oct 2019 14:35:42 +0000 Received: from localhost ([127.0.0.1]:53998 helo=debbugs.gnu.org) by debbugs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.84_2) (envelope-from ) id 1iQBY6-0007mz-9a for submit@debbugs.gnu.org; Thu, 31 Oct 2019 10:35:42 -0400 Received: from lists.gnu.org ([209.51.188.17]:33567) by debbugs.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.84_2) (envelope-from ) id 1iQ8cd-0003Lv-U2 for submit@debbugs.gnu.org; Thu, 31 Oct 2019 07:28:12 -0400 Received: from eggs.gnu.org ([2001:470:142:3::10]:48890) by lists.gnu.org with esmtp (Exim 4.90_1) (envelope-from ) id 1iQ8cb-0008Q2-Pk for bug-coreutils@gnu.org; Thu, 31 Oct 2019 07:28:11 -0400 X-Spam-Checker-Version: SpamAssassin 3.3.2 (2011-06-06) on eggs.gnu.org X-Spam-Level: X-Spam-Status: No, score=0.8 required=5.0 tests=BAYES_50,FREEMAIL_FROM, HTML_MESSAGE,URIBL_BLOCKED autolearn=disabled version=3.3.2 Received: from Debian-exim by eggs.gnu.org with spam-scanned (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1iQ8ca-0006R9-8T for bug-coreutils@gnu.org; Thu, 31 Oct 2019 07:28:09 -0400 Received: from mail-lj1-x242.google.com ([2a00:1450:4864:20::242]:41645) by eggs.gnu.org with esmtps (TLS1.0:RSA_AES_128_CBC_SHA1:16) (Exim 4.71) (envelope-from ) id 1iQ8cZ-0006Na-Tb for bug-coreutils@gnu.org; Thu, 31 Oct 2019 07:28:08 -0400 Received: by mail-lj1-x242.google.com with SMTP id m9so6195097ljh.8 for ; Thu, 31 Oct 2019 04:28:06 -0700 (PDT) DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=gmail.com; s=20161025; h=mime-version:from:date:message-id:subject:to; bh=Ux9lbVmH49C+DERorM6XElQG5MblBrVuf3KFRfgyuEg=; b=YFXmNkC20MmM1Bjm13QuzK4ymVVhlu3EQJDz+LBo4hESRqz4JBO8ciBAR3EwFNyDHn XgsutvZ+wwJCiFeDVKqv3uyyKIht8H3kwkhoJSzcBAtrumFk722FsWQY+KfBx6anIPQp qhErR52vPmAH7v5p/lN05f4jR/oLbsFtzjqhljE4O0S0A84Z4HE2Q5u/6ybX13d4jkJT SVxsmnBWSCrLRlbpnub9gQvwKT4e8gWRjGSOLopvqUMeQd9K8FXwhl1g/7zM6n78P1pg 8PIvfdLrU+g2qBMT6ZvycAlnddmCupkN6lhERQxzLTgUjrdxtvze8bU1ZdTkWFr6UykK Zrhg== X-Google-DKIM-Signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=1e100.net; s=20161025; h=x-gm-message-state:mime-version:from:date:message-id:subject:to; bh=Ux9lbVmH49C+DERorM6XElQG5MblBrVuf3KFRfgyuEg=; b=hnJZYgL0Ifo84SApU0l1nbvGtdqsk+RzbQeGaGmqEti3lu5/t9QzgIcyckx1yAUelB JeFd6AOiJUkyGiTHCc/GZmiOVnBgB2mO5fhlBIWQvGzCFvGYi3vnYaFJnSnA1m4PuNVX IwIKnStQ8pP/IBbkD8HRSjaygyGAE0WKi3we6CgnDMeZDAWxXfMz+RGRCGJ4K5AyA7BV AlKN+dMSC64PUPU1sL8ot685Bg9mab8cXElIAq/UTPeukKQI0b/Mj8qeZkjjpybvhwlf WPEjwApU9lZOGnDftSKTQzJfSyZfFxpEiSJulucUq7VjcT+ctfB5LZt7Azp4MoaWxyPE cnMQ== X-Gm-Message-State: APjAAAVNKL6zWXmwLuSpwa8xFgjl9mdisS7g5rEshk+fpQT/r4OOIfQv /uKxzxIH4tB1TqmgnhB5k4EFxh7ZEm6OBDSWuYEoFBQ/ X-Google-Smtp-Source: APXvYqzlrmJXdkFRv0zYigXKVWGlbInx8z7daklFxttp/i+usQSCwoSktD6j7+P226XOPZadsTW+HQ8eQlHzq1ztM4Y= X-Received: by 2002:a2e:81c7:: with SMTP id s7mr3849496ljg.40.1572521284246; Thu, 31 Oct 2019 04:28:04 -0700 (PDT) MIME-Version: 1.0 From: Joshua Miller Date: Thu, 31 Oct 2019 07:27:53 -0400 Message-ID: Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="0000000000008c9f940596332473" X-detected-operating-system: by eggs.gnu.org: Genre and OS details not recognized. X-Received-From: 2a00:1450:4864:20::242 X-Spam-Score: 0.7 (/) X-Mailman-Approved-At: Thu, 31 Oct 2019 10:35:41 -0400 X-BeenThere: debbugs-submit@debbugs.gnu.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.18 Precedence: list List-Id: List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , Errors-To: debbugs-submit-bounces@debbugs.gnu.org Sender: "Debbugs-submit" X-Spam-Score: -2.3 (--) --0000000000008c9f940596332473 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" The output of "ls" automatically quotes results that include special characters or spaces. I've already found this page: https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/quotes.html I'm aware that the maintainers have no plans to revert the behavior, and I'm aware of the work arounds. This email is just to register another complaint / disagreement. The page above notes, "GNU Coreutils maintainers are of the opinion that this change is beneficial to most users". It's not beneficial to me and has caused a fair bit of work to restore the old behavior across a few hundred systems. I suspect that many users have yet to see this new behavior, as many of us run distributions with older utilities (ex. RHEL 7.x). FWIW, I'm firmly of the opinion that this should have been implemented at the distribution level as an addition to the default "ls" alias, leaving the default behavior of unadulterated /bin/ls use as-is (ie. behaving as --quoting-style=literal). That said, I don't know where you go from here, cause you've already committed to this change and it's all over the place now, and reverting would then cause a third condition... I'd still support reverting, but I realize that's unlikely, so don't worry about convincing me of why you won't revert. In the future, for new behavior such as this, I implore you to please stage the change in steps: * add an option to enable the behavior * encourage distros to make that the default for their distro via aliases * if $N percent of distros pick it up, then consider making it the actual default with an option to disable it Thank you, -- Josh I. --0000000000008c9f940596332473 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
The output of "ls" automatically quotes results = that include special characters or spaces. I've already found this page= :=C2=A0https= ://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/quotes.html

I'= m aware that the maintainers have no plans to revert the behavior, and I= 9;m aware=C2=A0of the work arounds.

This email is = just to register another complaint / disagreement. The page above notes, &q= uot;GNU Coreutils maintainers are of the opinion that this change is benefi= cial to most users". It's not beneficial to me and has caused a fa= ir bit of work to restore the old behavior across a few hundred systems. I = suspect that many users have yet to see this new behavior, as many of us ru= n distributions with older utilities (ex. RHEL 7.x).

FWIW, I'm firmly of the opinion that this should have been implement= ed at the distribution level as an addition to the default "ls" a= lias, leaving the default behavior of unadulterated /bin/ls use as-is (ie. = behaving as --quoting-style=3Dliteral). That said, I don't know where y= ou go from here, cause you've already committed to this change and it&#= 39;s all over the place now, and reverting would then cause a third conditi= on... I'd still support reverting, but I realize that's unlikely, s= o don't worry about convincing me of why you won't revert.

In the future, for new behavior such as this, I implore yo= u to please stage the change in steps:
* add an option to enable = the behavior
* encourage distros to make that the default for the= ir distro via aliases
* if $N percent of distros pick it up, then= consider making it the actual default with an option to disable it

Thank you,
--
Josh I.
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