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corley
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 12 May 2005
Posts: 78
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 Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 4:01 am Post subject: symlinks and reverse compatiblity and strange filenames |
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I noticed today I had a filename called /usr/bin/[ (a bracket). I opened it and it looks to be a copy of something from core-utils.
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^@bug-coreutils@gnu.org^@/usr/share/locale^@Matthew Bradburn^@Kevin Braunsdorf^@5.2.1^@GNU coreutils^@[^@missing `]'
^@too many arguments
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I check the date of the file against some others in the same directory and there are some strange symlinks to the same files. example
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-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 25720 Jun 12 23:27 [
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 13 Jun 12 23:27 basename -> /bin/basename
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 8 Jun 12 23:27 cat -> /bin/cat
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Jun 12 23:27 chgrp -> /bin/chgrp
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Jun 12 23:27 chmod -> /bin/chmod
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Jun 12 23:27 chown -> /bin/chown
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 11 Jun 12 23:27 chroot -> /bin/chroot
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Jun 12 23:27 cksum -> /bin/cksum
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Jun 12 23:27 comm -> /bin/comm
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 Jun 12 23:27 cp -> /bin/cp
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 32544 Jun 12 23:27 csplit
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 8 Jun 12 23:27 cut -> /bin/cut
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Jun 12 23:27 date -> /bin/date
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 Jun 12 23:27 dd -> /bin/dd
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 Jun 12 23:27 df -> /bin/df
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 8 Jun 12 23:27 dir -> /bin/dir
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 14 Jun 12 23:27 dircolors -> /bin/dircolors
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 12 Jun 12 23:27 dirname -> /bin/dirname
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 Jun 12 23:27 du -> /bin/du
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Jun 12 23:27 echo -> /bin/echo
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 8 Jun 12 23:27 env -> /bin/env
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 18780 Jun 12 23:27 expand
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Jun 12 23:27 expr -> /bin/expr
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 21360 Jun 12 23:27 factor
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Jun 12 23:27 false -> /bin/false
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 21312 Jun 12 23:27 fmt
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 19796 Jun 12 23:27 fold
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Jun 12 23:27 head -> /bin/head
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 11 Jun 12 23:27 hostid -> /bin/hostid
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 Jun 12 23:27 id -> /bin/id
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 12 Jun 12 23:27 install -> /bin/install
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 29068 Jun 12 23:27 join
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Jun 12 23:27 link -> /bin/link
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 Jun 12 23:27 ln -> /bin/ln
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 12 Jun 12 23:27 logname -> /bin/logname
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 Jun 12 23:27 ls -> /bin/ls
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 31960 Jun 12 23:27 md5sum
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Jun 12 23:27 mkdir -> /bin/mkdir
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 11 Jun 12 23:27 mkfifo -> /bin/mkfifo
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Jun 12 23:27 mknod -> /bin/mknod
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 Jun 12 23:27 mv -> /bin/mv
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Jun 12 23:27 nice -> /bin/nice
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 21984 Jun 12 23:27 nl
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Jun 12 23:27 nohup -> /bin/nohup
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 34360 Jun 12 23:27 od
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 17404 Jun 12 23:27 paste
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 16184 Jun 12 23:27 pathchk
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 20384 Jun 12 23:27 pinky
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 39028 Jun 12 23:27 pr
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 13 Jun 12 23:27 printenv -> /bin/printenv
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 23984 Jun 12 23:27 printf
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 8 Jun 12 23:27 ptx -> /bin/ptx
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 8 Jun 12 23:27 pwd -> /bin/pwd
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 13 Jun 12 23:27 readlink -> /bin/readlink
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 Jun 12 23:27 rm -> /bin/rm
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Jun 12 23:27 rmdir -> /bin/rmdir
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 8 Jun 12 23:27 seq -> /bin/seq
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 31960 Jun 12 23:27 sha1sum
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 38212 Jun 12 23:27 shred
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Jun 12 23:27 sleep -> /bin/sleep
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Jun 12 23:27 sort -> /bin/sort
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Jun 12 23:27 split -> /bin/split
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Jun 12 23:27 stat -> /bin/stat
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Jun 12 23:27 stty -> /bin/stty
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 24368 Jun 12 23:27 sum
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Jun 12 23:27 sync -> /bin/sync
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 19668 Jun 12 23:27 tac
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 40472 Jun 12 23:27 tail
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 8 Jun 12 23:27 tee -> /bin/tee
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 23484 Jun 12 23:27 test
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Jun 12 23:27 touch -> /bin/touch
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 Jun 12 23:27 tr -> /bin/tr
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Jun 12 23:27 true -> /bin/true
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 22496 Jun 12 23:27 tsort
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 8 Jun 12 23:27 tty -> /bin/tty
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 10 Jun 12 23:27 uname -> /bin/uname
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 19488 Jun 12 23:27 unexpand
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Jun 12 23:27 uniq -> /bin/uniq
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 11 Jun 12 23:27 unlink -> /bin/unlink
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 15656 Jun 12 23:27 users
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 9 Jun 12 23:27 vdir -> /bin/vdir
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 7 Jun 12 23:27 wc -> /bin/wc
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 8 Jun 12 23:27 who -> /bin/who
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 11 Jun 12 23:27 whoami -> /bin/whoami
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 8 Jun 12 23:27 yes -> /bin/yes
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I have seen this before when the developers are trying to keep reverse compatibility. I was wondering if anyone else is seeing this, and if so is it due to a bug in a patch that is creating this strange filename. |
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tomvollerthun
Guru
Joined: 19 Mar 2005
Posts: 316
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 9:31 am Post subject: |
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This is normal (as far as normality goes): Some (rather obsolete?) autoconf dialects check for the existence of a "[" programm.
Since on gentoo this is a bash-builtin there is no such program by itself. To satisfy the scripts that look for it, there is a symlink to (or a copy of) bash instead (or maybe a small program just wrapping a call to bash or so...).
The other symlinks can be explained by different pathnames that are searched for p.e. "basename": some scripts expect it to be in /bin while some want it in /usr/bin. Quick and easy solution: have a symlink.
cu, tom
_________________
Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.
Dijsktra
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Don't believe my "Guru" status! |
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TrueDFX
Retired Dev
Joined: 02 Jun 2004
Posts: 1348
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:09 am Post subject: |
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(Previous deleted post was incorrect.)
[ is correct to exist as a program, and not just for old scripts. Not all shells provide [ as a built-in function (though, as the above poster says, bash does; I first thought it didn't). |
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tomvollerthun
Guru
Joined: 19 Mar 2005
Posts: 316
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 10:39 am Post subject: |
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I see...
So this is as well needed if one uses something else than bash as default shell, right?
_________________
Computer science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes.
Dijsktra
---------------
Don't believe my "Guru" status! |
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TrueDFX
Retired Dev
Joined: 02 Jun 2004
Posts: 1348
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 11:18 am Post subject: |
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| Possibly. bash is not the only shell to provide it as a builtin. zsh and ksh users, at least, have it as a shell builtin as well, so they too could live without it as an external program. |
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corley
Tux's lil' helper
Joined: 12 May 2005
Posts: 78
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| Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2005 2:17 pm Post subject: cool |
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ah thanks alot for the info guys. I just have never noticed a strange filename like that unless it came from a bad pipe, pointer or just some kind of script error, so anytime I see something like that I get suspicious a bit.  |
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