GNU bug report logs - #6353
cp and mv with single wild card argument acts as if multiple arguments were entered.

Previous Next

Full log

View this message in rfc822 format

From: help-debbugs <at> gnu.org (GNU bug Tracking System)
To: Bob Proulx <bob <at> proulx.com>
Cc: tracker <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: bug#6353: closed (cp and mv with single wild card argument acts
 as if multiple  arguments were entered.)
Date: Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:51:02 +0000

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

Your message dated Mon, 7 Jun 2010 16:50:18 -0600
with message-id <20100607225018.GA585 <at> dementia.proulx.com>
and subject line Re: bug#6353: cp and mv with single wild card argument acts as if multiple arguments were entered.
has caused the GNU bug report #6353,
regarding cp and mv with single wild card argument acts as if multiple  arguments were entered.
to be marked as done.

(If you believe you have received this mail in error, please contact
help-debbugs <at> gnu.org.)


-- 
6353: http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=6353
GNU Bug Tracking System
Contact help-debbugs <at> gnu.org with problems

[Message part 2 (message/rfc822, inline)]

From: Darwin Gregory <darwin.gregory <at> gmail.com>
To: bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org
Subject: cp and mv with single wild card argument acts as if multiple 
	arguments were entered.
Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2010 12:13:46 -0400

[Message part 3 (text/plain, inline)]

I did a quick search of the archive, and didn't find this one, but there
seems to be a potential logical failure in the cp and mv commands.  It may
be specific to an implementation, but I feel it is a critical issue.

I have tested this on Suse Enterprise 10.x and OpenSuse 11.x (the only
implementations I currently have access to).

If you execute "cp /path/*" the command expands the wildcard, and treats the
last file as the destination directory.  If the last file in /path/ is not a
directory the command fails, but not with the appropriate error.  However,
if the last file in the directory (or other wildcard expansion) is a
directory, it will copy all earlier files in the expansion to that
directory.

The same happens for mv.  I did mv * in my home directory where the last
entry was a workspace subdirectory.  It moved all of my files and
directories to my workspace subdirectory.

I feel this is an unacceptable outcome for a single argument that is a
wildcard, since whether it works or not is based on the arbitrary presence
or absence of a directory as the final element in the wildcard expansion.
It would be much better to fail with an error indicating  "missing
destination file operand" as it does if the first argument does not
contain a wildcard.

Also, if a wildcard expansion contains exactly 2 elements, the second is
treated as a target whether or not it is a directory, causing a potential
overlay of data.

... Darwin

[Message part 4 (text/html, inline)]

[Message part 5 (message/rfc822, inline)]

From: Bob Proulx <bob <at> proulx.com>
To: Darwin Gregory <darwin.gregory <at> gmail.com>
Cc: 6353-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#6353: cp and mv with single wild card argument acts as if
	multiple arguments were entered.
Date: Mon, 7 Jun 2010 16:50:18 -0600

Hi Darwin,

I am happy that you are satisfied with the responses.  I am going to
close the bug ticket in the bug tracking system with this message.

Bob

Previous Next

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