GNU bug report logs - #54112
dd seek_bytes etc. is confusing

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>
To: Coreutils <bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org>
Subject: dd seek_bytes etc. is confusing
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2022 09:03:46 -0800

While looking into Bug#45648 I noticed that the GNU extensions 
count_bytes, seek_bytes, and skip_bytes are confusing, and the proposed 
fix to bug#45648 would make them even more confusing. To fix this 
confusion, we should deprecate these options, and instead say that if 
you want to use byte counts you should use a number string ending in "B".

Here's another way to put it.  Currently this:

   dd oseek=100KiB

means "seek 102,400 blocks". It should simply mean "seek 102,400 bytes", 
which is what it says. And if we change oseek's meaning this way, we 
don't need "oseek_bytes".

Although this is an incompatible change to GNU dd, I don't think it'll 
affect real-world uses (who would use oseek in such a confusing way 
now?) and overall it will be a win.

Message #8 received at 54112 <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
To: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>, 54112 <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#54112: dd seek_bytes etc. is confusing
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2022 17:29:26 +0000

On 22/02/2022 17:03, Paul Eggert wrote:
> While looking into Bug#45648 I noticed that the GNU extensions
> count_bytes, seek_bytes, and skip_bytes are confusing, and the proposed
> fix to bug#45648 would make them even more confusing. To fix this
> confusion, we should deprecate these options, and instead say that if
> you want to use byte counts you should use a number string ending in "B".
> 
> Here's another way to put it.  Currently this:
> 
>      dd oseek=100KiB
> 
> means "seek 102,400 blocks". It should simply mean "seek 102,400 bytes",
> which is what it says. And if we change oseek's meaning this way, we
> don't need "oseek_bytes".
> 
> Although this is an incompatible change to GNU dd, I don't think it'll
> affect real-world uses (who would use oseek in such a confusing way
> now?) and overall it will be a win.

That is a more concise and direct way to achieve the same functionality.
+1

I guess we should remove docs for the other options,
but leave support there for backwards compat.

thanks,
Pádraig

Message #13 received at 54112-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Paul Eggert <eggert <at> cs.ucla.edu>
To: Pádraig Brady <P <at> draigBrady.com>
Cc: 54112-done <at> debbugs.gnu.org
Subject: Re: bug#54112: dd seek_bytes etc. is confusing
Date: Tue, 22 Feb 2022 18:58:19 -0800

[Message part 1 (text/plain, inline)]

On 2/22/22 09:29, Pádraig Brady wrote:
> That is a more concise and direct way to achieve the same functionality.
> +1
> 
> I guess we should remove docs for the other options,
> but leave support there for backwards compat.

Sounds good, I installed the attached and am closing the bug report.

[0001-dd-counts-ending-in-B-now-count-bytes.patch (text/x-patch, attachment)]

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