Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!ucsd!orion.cf.uci.edu!uci-ics!venera.isi.edu!raveling
From: raveling@vaxb.isi.edu (Paul Raveling)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Re: Trying to remove a file called "-ls"
Keywords: HP bug
Message-ID: <7770@venera.isi.edu>
Date: 13 Mar 89 18:59:40 GMT
References: <570@sdrc.UUCP> <2087@helios.ee.lbl.gov>
Sender: news@venera.isi.edu
Reply-To: raveling@isi.edu (Paul Raveling)
Organization: USC-Information Sciences Institute
Lines: 32

In article <2087@helios.ee.lbl.gov> JEMilburn@lbl.gov writes:
>In article <570@sdrc.UUCP> diblanch@sdrc.UUCP (Jeff Blanchet) writes:
>>I seem to have stumbled across a bug that occurs on the HP. I created a file
>>called "-ls". Now on any other UNIX system all I have to do is issue the
>
>Try rm "-ls".

	That produces:

	rm: illegal option -- l
	rm: illegal option -- s
	usage: rm [-fir] file ...


	However, it DOES work to say "rm ./-ls".  In this case you
	can fool ls by sticking in an otherwise superflous path.

	Now suppose you want to search for "-ls" in a bunch of files...
	Try a "grep -ls *" -- it hangs up waiting for you to
	type something.  Maybe "grep \-ls *"?   Same result -- the
	shell eats the '\'.  But it DOES work to say "grep \\-ls *".

	But it does NOT work to say "rm \\-ls".


	Just a modest dose of the countless reasons why my xload window's
	slogan says "Give Me Liberty or Give Me Unix!".


----------------
Paul Raveling
Raveling@isi.edu