An end to tweaking 4057

In comp.os.linux.advocacy, comp.os.spil wrote on 11 Jul 2005 09:01:52 -0700

One of the more interesting issues to my mind is the unusual "words" one has to learn when running Linux: 'mv', 'cp', 'ls', 'rm', 'ps', 'cd'. (These are the same quasi-word constructs one learns in Unix, and serve an almost identical purpose; the main differences are in the options.)

And 'man', 'info', and maybe 'help'.

Now, maybe my vision's been distorted by perspective, but I've several -- if not a half-dozen -- OSes under my belt, most of them now obsolete.

Rename file a to b:

VAX: RENAME a b AmigaDOS: MOVE a TO b (the brackets indicate the TO is optional) Apollo-DomainOS: mvf a b DOS: maybe MOVE a b Windows: click on file and type it in Unix-Linux: mv a b

Move several files a b c to another directory d:

VAX: RENAME a,b,c d AmigaDOS: MOVE a b c TO d Apollo-DomainOS: mvf a b c d DOS: maybe MOVE a,b,c...-d Windows: ctrl-click, ctrl-drag, watch out for copies (+ indicator) and shortcuts (arrow indicator). Unix-Linux: mv a b c d

Copy several files a b c to another directory d:

VAX: COPY a,b,c d AmigaDOS: COPY a b c TO d Apollo-DomainOS: cpf a b c d DOS: COPY a,b,c...-d Windows: ctrl-click, shift-drag, watch out for copies (+ indicator) and shortcuts (arrow indicator). Unix-Linux: cp a b c d

Of these, I'd say Unix-Linux are the tersest. DomainOS gave me headaches for awhile because of the variation (I cut my teeth on Unix System 6 & System 7 way back in college).

There's also the "overload" factor, in the sense that one is now using a term with multiple meanings. "Move", for instance, can mean: - move a file - move a couch - move one's butt to the employment office ("get a job!") or to the garage to clean it out or ... - move one to laughter or tears - move into or out of a dwelling - move around in high society

whereas 'mv' can only mean the first, to most Unix professionals.

Ditto for copy:

- copy a file - write text (it's a noun in that case) - copy a piece of paper using a photostatic process commonly (and most times incorrectly) known as xeroxing, which is a corruption of a trademarked term owned by, of course, Xerox Corporation - copy a manuscript the old-fashioned way (e.g., ancient monks did this sort of thing a lot) - copy another's actions, movements, mannerisms, etc.

and again 'cp' has a unique, unambiguous meaning.

The main difficulty, of course, is learning the lingo. I'll admit I've not had much luck on "English-like systems", though -- for me, they're too confusing because of the overload of each term. Others may feel differently.

-- It's still legal to go .sigless.