ls follies

[Curtis Jackson]

In article <1227 at sjuvax.UUCP> jss at sjuvax.UUCP (J. Shapiro) writes:
>
>The only thing terrible about ls -C is that it ought to be the default for
>CRTs. USG ls _requires_ the "-C" to get the multiple columns, which _is_
>brain damaged.

The only thing terrible about 'ls -C' is that 'ls -CF' ought to be the default
for CRTs.  Your option (ls -C as default) would _require_ the "-F" to get
the directory/executable_file markings, which _is_ brain damaged.

In short, everyone likes something different; therefore the word 'option'
is quite often used in Unix documentation.  If you don't like it, get
a reasonable shell so you can alias 'l' to be 'ls -CF', 'ls -C', or
whatever you like.

Remember, folks, this is "Unix", tm, registered, summa cum laude, etc.;
remember the flexibility that stands for?  Remember the amazement of
the IBM JCL jockey when he bitched about the Unix 'cat' command and you
shrugged and said, "Write your own and call it cat."?

Unix is what you make it (thank God, Kernighan, Thompson, et. al.),
-- 

The MAD Programmer -- 919-228-3313 (Cornet 291)
alias: Curtis Jackson	...![ ihnp4 ulysses cbosgd mgnetp ]!burl!rcj
			...![ ihnp4 cbosgd akgua masscomp ]!clyde!rcj