Re: default skel files (Re: PAGER=less)

[David Holland <dholland-tech%netbsd.org@localhost>]

On Sat, Oct 15, 2011 at 05:41:03PM -0400, Mouse wrote:
 > >> [...cp -> cp -i, mv -> mv -i...]
 > > They are a good idea, [...].  Unlike rm -i, they ~never go off by
 > > accident or under routine circumstances,
 > 
 > I dunno.  I'd say that probably between one-third and two-thirds of the
 > cp and mv commands I issue would prompt if I had such aliases inflicted
 > on me.
 > 
 > Or is that not what you meant by "go off [] under routine
 > circumstances"?

That is more or less what I meant. I've been using those aliases for
ages. They do prompt sometimes because I do sometimes mean to
overwrite, but usually I don't. (Things that are meant to overwrite
are usually automated, like make install is, and therefore aren't
affected. Perhaps this works for me because I habitually automate
everything in sight.)

Once in a while they do prevent a catastrophic mistake. They also give
a certain measure of confidence when reorganizing large trees;
obviously that's dangerous if one moves to an environment that doesn't
have them, but I explicitly don't do that. Or, more accurately, in
hostile environments I work under different assumptions.

anyhow, I'm not going to argue in favor any further.

-- 
David A. Holland
dholland%netbsd.org@localhost