From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG  Fri Nov 18 15:36:19 2005
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG>
X-Original-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org
Delivered-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 0C54616A41F
	for <freebsd-current@freebsd.org>; Fri, 18 Nov 2005 15:36:19 +0000 (GMT)
	(envelope-from b.candler@pobox.com)
Received: from thorn.pobox.com (thorn.pobox.com [208.210.124.75])
	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id ABC2B43D46
	for <freebsd-current@freebsd.org>; Fri, 18 Nov 2005 15:36:18 +0000 (GMT)
	(envelope-from b.candler@pobox.com)
Received: from thorn (localhost [127.0.0.1])
	by thorn.pobox.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 50EC92BA
	for <freebsd-current@freebsd.org>; Fri, 18 Nov 2005 10:36:40 -0500 (EST)
Received: from mappit.local.linnet.org (212-74-113-67.static.dsl.as9105.com
	[212.74.113.67])
	(using TLSv1 with cipher DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits))
	(No client certificate requested)
	by thorn.sasl.smtp.pobox.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2FA87F16
	for <freebsd-current@freebsd.org>; Fri, 18 Nov 2005 10:36:40 -0500 (EST)
Received: from brian by mappit.local.linnet.org with local (Exim 4.54
	(FreeBSD)) id 1Ed8Hg-0003C6-80
	for freebsd-current@freebsd.org; Fri, 18 Nov 2005 15:36:16 +0000
Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 15:36:16 +0000
From: Brian Candler <B.Candler@pobox.com>
To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org
Message-ID: <20051118153616.GA12210@uk.tiscali.com>
References: <20051116161540.GB4383@uk.tiscali.com>
	<20051118091333.GA1058@galgenberg.net>
	<20051118145051.GA3713@Pandora.MHoerich.de>
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Disposition: inline
In-Reply-To: <20051118145051.GA3713@Pandora.MHoerich.de>
User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.1i
Subject: Re: Order of files with 'cp'
X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5
Precedence: list
List-Id: Discussions about the use of FreeBSD-current
	<freebsd-current.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-current>, 
	<mailto:freebsd-current-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-current>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-current@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-current-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-current>,
	<mailto:freebsd-current-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 15:36:19 -0000

> This just adds a -o flag to cp, which preserves order.

Hmm, that's another solution that I hadn't thought of.

Advantages: simple to implement. (Even simpler if you use the ?: operator).

Disadvantages: it's still strange that the default behaviour is to copy the
files in an arbitary shuffled order. The manpage will need updating to
document the -o flag, and hence will have to explain the strangeness.
Commands arguably have too many flags already.

Regards,

Brian.