GNU bug report logs - #42766
file names with spaces are quoted in the output from ls

Previous Next

To reply to this bug, email your comments to 42766 AT debbugs.gnu.org.

Toggle the display of automated, internal messages from the tracker.

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

From: David Thomas <davidattheready <at> gmail.com>
To: bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org
Subject: file names with spaces are quoted in the output from ls
Date: Sat, 8 Aug 2020 21:39:31 +0530

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

Hello,

I noticed the other day when running ls in a terminal that some file names with spaces were quoted. I was quite confused, as I was sure they hadn’t been saved with quotes at the beginning and end of the file name. I’m not someone who often uses the terminal, but I know enough of what I was expecting (that file names created without quotes shouldn’t have quotes around them) that it threw me way off. Some of what were quoted were directories, and at first I was typing out the quotes to cd into them. Then I discovered it still worked to cd into them without typing the quotes, which was at least better. But I really don’t want those quotes. They look weird, and they make me feel like I mistyped when I created the file or directory.

I did some more digging, and discovered that I can alias ls to ls -N to get rid of them, but I sure don’t want to have to make this new alias for every system I use from here on out.

I have already read every bit of https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=813164#226 already and the stubbornness of the devs is surprising and disheartening.

Isn’t open source a friendly place? If most people think things are a bad idea, why do them? This isn’t something that helps new users—it’s just going to confuse them, like it confused me.

Please do us all a favor and revert the change. Thanks so much,

-David

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

Message #8 received at 42766 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>
To: David Thomas <davidattheready <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 42766 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#42766: file names with spaces are quoted in the output from ls
Date: Sun, 9 Aug 2020 01:38:51 -0700

On 8/8/20 9:09 AM, David Thomas wrote:
> If most people think things are a bad idea, why do them?

I don't see any real evidence that most people think the change is a bad idea. 
Although there have been complaints, that doesn't mean most people are 
complaining, or that most people are unhappy about the change.

In practice I've found the new behavior to be significantly safer. I too often 
have to deal with files with shell metacharacters in their names (people send me 
all sorts of weird stuff). The old 'ls' behavior was quite dangerous in that 
respect.

> at first I was typing out the quotes to cd into them. Then I discovered it still worked to cd into them without typing the quotes

What file names were these, exactly? If 'ls' is overquoting, that's something we 
could fix without affecting safety.

Previous Next

GNU bug tracking system
Copyright (C) 1999 Darren O. Benham, 1997,2003 nCipher Corporation Ltd, 1994-97 Ian Jackson.