Xref: utzoo comp.unix.misc:1036 alt.sys.sun:2918
Path: utzoo!utgpu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ames!vsi1!teda!mikel
From: mikel@teda.UUCP (Mikel Lechner)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.misc,alt.sys.sun
Subject: Re: Too many words from `` (csh)
Message-ID: <21658@teda.UUCP>
Date: 5 Mar 91 02:23:59 GMT
References: <1991Mar3.235738.9657@csis.dit.csiro.au>
Followup-To: comp.unix.misc
Lines: 30

ken@csis.dit.csiro.au (Ken Yap) writes:

>Anybody seen this problem with csh on SunOS 4.1?

>[tucana 462] chmod 644 `find . -type f -print`
>Too many words from ``.
>^C^\^Z
>^C^C^C^C^C

>And csh refused to talk to me anymore.  A ps reveals no chmod running,
>just csh.

You apparently blew the C-shell's mind.  The problem is that there is
a limit to the number of "words" you can pass to a command from the
C-shell.  I believe that the limit is around 1024 words.  So evidently
your find producted over 1024 filenames.

A better way to do what you want, (ie one that works), is this command:

	find . -type f -exec chmod 644 {} ';'

However, this will run a bit slower, since it will create a new chmod
process for each file encountered.  But, it will work.


-- 
Mikel Lechner			UUCP:  teda!mikel
Teradyne EDA, Inc.
5155 Old Ironsides Drive	| If you explain so clearly that nobody
Santa Clara, Ca 95054		| can misunderstand, somebody will.