funny characters in filenames

[jbray at bbn-unix]

From:  James Bray <jbray at bbn-unix>


    
    1)  Restricting the characters to the range of printable ASCII
    characters (>= ' ' and <= \177) does not solve the original problem
    that started this whole discussion.  If you recall, that discussion
    dealt with giving filenames that had shell meta-characters to a
    `system'.

I could care less about the origin of the discussion. I got involved because  a
user, specifically a user at the Network Operations Center, had this problem of
having --unknown to her-- her .profile blown away,  and  having  gotten  a  few
'\b's  into a filename before she realized this. This user is not a hacker, but
she is no "moron". I am sick and  tired  of  elitist  hackers  who  think  that
everyone  who  is  not  one of them is a "moron".  And I think we can all agree
that we have a certain vested interest in the proper operation of  the  Network
Operations Center...

    2)  The UCB `ls' (as has been pointed out before) has an option (`-b'
    if you're interested) so that an `od' of a directory is not necessary
    to see unusual file names.  I have no idea what system you normally use.
 
We support extended USG. In any case post-mortems do little for the patient.
    
    4)  I have always been disgusted with operating systems that restrict
    file names in unnecessary manners.  Unix is the ONLY operating system
    that I have found that places no arbitrary restrictions on file names.
    The three restricted characters are forbidden for very obvious reasons.
    Anything else would be unnecessary.  I may agree with disallowing
    characters with the eighth bit on, but all the other restrictions seem
    totally arbitrary and unnecessary.  Unix has never taken the "protect
    the moron" attitude before, let's not start it now!
    
Unix is getting taken seriously as an operating system, and not just a hacker's
toy.  Some changes may well be necessary to accomodate the real people who use
it. So far we have heard no one claim to actually want to put control
characters in filenames. A capability that no one wants to use but that can
cause trouble if anyone inadvertently takes advantage of it is a decided
misfeature. I would be most interested to hear from the Founding Fathers if
they allowed control characters by design, by omission, or by pdp11
address-space saving... I would also be most interested to hear from anyone
who thinks there is a legitimate use for control characters in filenames,
because if there is I will not disallow them. But we sell our Unix, we don't
just play with it, and I feel a certain responsibility to those users out there
who are much less experienced than our NOC controller, and who don't have a
handy hacker just four digits away...

    5)  I'm getting sick and tired of seeing messages about file names.  We
    have beaten the topic to death.  Shall we go on to something a little
    more interestinbeaver
Organization: University of Washington, Dept. of Computer Science
Contact: James Rees
Phone: (206) 545-0912
Postal-Address: FR-35, Seatt