← Back to team overview

touch-packages team mailing list archive

[Bug 1433097] [NEW] enhance -exec option documentation of find with extra hint about command tails and counter-example

 

Public bug reported:

The `-exec` section of the `find` manpages explains kind of cryptic that
there're no command trails supported in `-exec {] +` (the crucial part
is "at the end" which is not too clear and "The command line is built in
much the same way that xargs builds its command lines." which is
annoying for the user to search in the `xargs` manpage). An explicit
statement, like

    File names can be appended only in `-exec`'s argument, i.e.
statements like `find . -name '*.ext' -exec mv {} /target/ +` will fail
(use `xargs` or a form of the desired command which allows appending if
available (e.g. `find . -name '*.ext' -exec mv -t /target {} +`)).

<ref>http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5607542/why-does-find-exec-mv-
target-not-work-on-cygwin</ref>. Markdown won't be supported by `man`, I
don't know about the conventions/equivalents there.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.10
Package: findutils 4.4.2-9
Uname: Linux 3.19.1-031901-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.7-0ubuntu8.2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Tue Mar 17 14:44:07 2015
Dependencies:
 gcc-4.9-base 4.9.1-16ubuntu6
 libc6 2.19-10ubuntu2.3
 libgcc1 1:4.9.1-16ubuntu6
 multiarch-support 2.19-10ubuntu2.3
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-01-26 (49 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.10 "Utopic Unicorn" - Release amd64 (20141022.1)
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=de_DE.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
SourcePackage: findutils
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

** Affects: findutils (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New


** Tags: amd64 apport-bug utopic

-- 
You received this bug notification because you are a member of Ubuntu
Touch seeded packages, which is subscribed to findutils in Ubuntu.
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1433097

Title:
  enhance -exec option documentation of find with extra hint about
  command tails and counter-example

Status in findutils package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  The `-exec` section of the `find` manpages explains kind of cryptic
  that there're no command trails supported in `-exec {] +` (the crucial
  part is "at the end" which is not too clear and "The command line is
  built in much the same way that xargs builds its command lines." which
  is annoying for the user to search in the `xargs` manpage). An
  explicit statement, like

      File names can be appended only in `-exec`'s argument, i.e.
  statements like `find . -name '*.ext' -exec mv {} /target/ +` will
  fail (use `xargs` or a form of the desired command which allows
  appending if available (e.g. `find . -name '*.ext' -exec mv -t /target
  {} +`)).

  <ref>http://stackoverflow.com/questions/5607542/why-does-find-exec-mv-
  target-not-work-on-cygwin</ref>. Markdown won't be supported by `man`,
  I don't know about the conventions/equivalents there.

  ProblemType: Bug
  DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.10
  Package: findutils 4.4.2-9
  Uname: Linux 3.19.1-031901-generic x86_64
  ApportVersion: 2.14.7-0ubuntu8.2
  Architecture: amd64
  CurrentDesktop: Unity
  Date: Tue Mar 17 14:44:07 2015
  Dependencies:
   gcc-4.9-base 4.9.1-16ubuntu6
   libc6 2.19-10ubuntu2.3
   libgcc1 1:4.9.1-16ubuntu6
   multiarch-support 2.19-10ubuntu2.3
  EcryptfsInUse: Yes
  InstallationDate: Installed on 2015-01-26 (49 days ago)
  InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 14.10 "Utopic Unicorn" - Release amd64 (20141022.1)
  ProcEnviron:
   TERM=xterm
   PATH=(custom, no user)
   XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
   LANG=de_DE.UTF-8
   SHELL=/bin/bash
  SourcePackage: findutils
  UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

To manage notifications about this bug go to:
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/findutils/+bug/1433097/+subscriptions


Follow ups

References