*BSD News Article 58044


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From: j@uriah.heep.sax.de (J Wunsch)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc
Subject: Re: Newbie question re:ls
Date: 24 Dec 1995 10:14:06 GMT
Organization: Private BSD site, Dresden
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wwells@haven.ios.com (Wallace Weils) writes:
> Why is it when I created a file ".nofinger" it does not appear
> when I use the "ls" command? I know it's there because when I
> try to edit it or delete it I get the messsage "file already
> exists.

These so-called `dot files' are Unix' ``hidden files''.  ls normally
doesn't show them, including the dot and dot-dot directory entries.
The shell's wildcard expansion doesn't include them either, so if
you're saying ``rm *'', they won't be affected.

ls -a will show you all, ls -A will show you all except dot and
dot-dot.

-- 
cheers, J"org

joerg_wunsch@uriah.heep.sax.de -- http://www.sax.de/~joerg/ -- NIC: JW11-RIPE
Never trust an operating system you don't have sources for. ;-)