On Thu, 2025-10-30 at 18:32 +0000, [email protected] wrote: > The Wanderer <[email protected]> wrote: > > On 2025-10-30 at 13:33, Michael wrote: > > > > > The command > > > > > > ls -- *.pdf > > > > > > has been run and a very large number of PDF files has been > > > listed. > > > > > > It is very difficult to spot any strangely named PDF files. > > > > > > What command should be issued to easily list any strangely named > > > PDF > > > file ? > > > > Try: > > > > $ ls -- *.pdf | grep ' -' > > > > This should show you any files whose name include a space followed > > by > > a dash. The space would be treated as a token separator, and the > > dash > > would be treated as the beginning of a new argument to ls. > > err no, ls lists multiple files on a line and this wouldn't pick up > any > file at the start of a line. grep '--K' is better.
ls lists files one-per-line if its output is piped other than stdout Try it, e.g. ls | less > > > If you want to look only for things that might be parsed as > > "long-form" options, try the same command except with two dashes in > > a > > row rather than just the one. > > >
