GNU bug report logs - #41075
Changes to 'ls' output

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

From: Chris Elvidge <celvidge001 <at> gmail.com>
To: bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org
Subject: Changes to 'ls' output
Date: Mon, 4 May 2020 10:43:36 +0100

I have noticed that the output of ls seems to have changed from v8.25 to 
v8.32 where there is an apostrophe in the filename (sometimes); change 
from " surrounding to ' surrounding and '\'' replacing '. When output is 
piped through xxd, it is the same in both versions. I have 8.32 
installed in ~/bin/. Any ideas?

$ bash --version
GNU bash, version 5.0.11(1)-release (i686-pc-linux-gnu)
Copyright (C) 2019 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later 
<http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>

This is free software; you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.
[0] slack142!chris:(pts/2):Sun 03 May 2020 02:36 pm BST:/home/chris/bin

$ /usr/bin/ls --version
ls (GNU coreutils) 8.25
Copyright (C) 2016 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later 
<http://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

Written by Richard M. Stallman and David MacKenzie.
[0] slack142!chris:(pts/2):Sun 03 May 2020 01:59 pm BST:/home/chris/bin

$ /usr/bin/ls /media/sf_Music/W.A.S.P\ -\ Greatest\ Hits/*Don*
/media/sf_Music/W.A.S.P - Greatest Hits/08 - I Don't Need No Doctor.m4a
/media/sf_Music/W.A.S.P - Greatest Hits/10 - Don't Cry (Just Suck).m4a
[0] slack142!chris:(pts/2):Sun 03 May 2020 01:59 pm BST:/home/chris/bin

$ ~/bin/ls --version
ls (GNU coreutils) 8.32
Copyright (C) 2020 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
License GPLv3+: GNU GPL version 3 or later 
<https://gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
This is free software: you are free to change and redistribute it.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

Written by Richard M. Stallman and David MacKenzie.
[0] slack142!chris:(pts/2):Sun 03 May 2020 01:58 pm BST:/home/chris/bin

$ ~/bin/ls /media/sf_Music/W.A.S.P\ -\ Greatest\ Hits/*Don*
"/media/sf_Music/W.A.S.P - Greatest Hits/08 - I Don't Need No Doctor.m4a"
'/media/sf_Music/W.A.S.P - Greatest Hits/10 - Don'\''t Cry (Just Suck).m4a'
[0] slack142!chris:(pts/2):Sun 03 May 2020 01:59 pm BST:/home/chris/bin



-- 

Chris Elvidge

5 Ebor Park, Appleton Roebuck, York.  YO23 7DZ.
Tel (Mob): +447443472958 mailto:celvidge <at> outlook.com

Calle Padre Raimundo Codesal 1, Vélez-Málaga, 29700, España

Message #8 received at 41075 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
To: Chris Elvidge <celvidge001 <at> gmail.com>, 41075 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#41075: Changes to 'ls' output
Date: Mon, 4 May 2020 16:14:20 +0100

tag 41075 notabug
close 41075
stop

On 04/05/2020 10:43, Chris Elvidge wrote:
> I have noticed that the output of ls seems to have changed from v8.25 to
> v8.32 where there is an apostrophe in the filename (sometimes); change
> from " surrounding to ' surrounding and '\'' replacing '. When output is
> piped through xxd, it is the same in both versions. I have 8.32
> installed in ~/bin/. Any ideas?

This is due to new quoting functionality which is discussed at:
https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/quotes.html

As to your particular observation,
when there are only single quotes, then we'll change
to using double quotes to simplify the quoting.
Once there are other problematic characters,
we switch to quoting with single quotes,
as shown in these examples:

  $ ls -1
  "just'single"
  'single'\''and(brackets)'

Note quoting is disabled when output is not to a terminal.

  $ ls -1 | cat
  just'single
  single'and(brackets)

You can disable this quoting behavior if you prefer, by adding '-N' to your ls alias.

thanks,
Pádraig

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