BSD 4_3_Net_2 release

[unix-history] / usr / src / usr.bin / xargs / xargs.1

diff --git a/usr/src/usr.bin/xargs/xargs.1 b/usr/src/usr.bin/xargs/xargs.1
index 96666b8..cebb45d 100644 (file)
--- a/usr/src/usr.bin/xargs/xargs.1
+++ b/usr/src/usr.bin/xargs/xargs.1
@@ -2,28 +2,57 @@
 .\" All rights reserved.
 .\"
 .\" This code is derived from software contributed to Berkeley by
 .\" All rights reserved.
 .\"
 .\" This code is derived from software contributed to Berkeley by

-.\" John B. Roll Jr.
+.\" John B. Roll Jr. and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics
+.\" Engineers, Inc.

 .\"
 .\"

-.\" %sccs.include.redist.man%
+.\" Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
+.\" modification, are permitted provided that the following conditions
+.\" are met:
+.\" 1. Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright
+.\"    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer.
+.\" 2. Redistributions in binary form must reproduce the above copyright
+.\"    notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the
+.\"    documentation and/or other materials provided with the distribution.
+.\" 3. All advertising materials mentioning features or use of this software
+.\"    must display the following acknowledgement:
+.\"    This product includes software developed by the University of
+.\"    California, Berkeley and its contributors.
+.\" 4. Neither the name of the University nor the names of its contributors
+.\"    may be used to endorse or promote products derived from this software
+.\"    without specific prior written permission.

 .\"
 .\"

-.\"    @(#)xargs.1     5.2 (Berkeley) %G%
+.\" THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED BY THE REGENTS AND CONTRIBUTORS ``AS IS'' AND
+.\" ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE
+.\" IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE
+.\" ARE DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE REGENTS OR CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE
+.\" FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL
+.\" DAMAGES (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS
+.\" OR SERVICES; LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION)
+.\" HOWEVER CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT
+.\" LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY WAY
+.\" OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
+.\" SUCH DAMAGE.

 .\"
 .\"

-.TH XARGS 1 ""
+.\"    @(#)xargs.1     5.5 (Berkeley) 6/27/91
+.\"
+.TH XARGS 1 "June 27, 1991"

 .UC 7
 .SH NAME
 xargs \- construct argument list(s) and execute utility.
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .ft B
 .UC 7
 .SH NAME
 xargs \- construct argument list(s) and execute utility.
 .SH SYNOPSIS
 .ft B

-xargs [\-t] [\-f] [\-n number] [\-s size] [utility [argument ...]]
+xargs [\-ft] [[\-x] \-n number] [\-s size] [utility [argument ...]]

 .ft R
 .SH DESCRIPTION
 The
 .ft R
 .SH DESCRIPTION
 The

-.I xargs utility
-reads space, tab, and newline delimited arguments from the standard
-input and executes the specified
+.I xargs
+utility reads space, tab, newline and end-of-file delimited arguments
+from the standard input and executes the specified

 .I utility
 with them as arguments.
 .I utility
 with them as arguments.

-Any arguments specified on the command line are given to the
+.PP
+The utility and any arguments specified on the command line are given
+to the

 .I utility
 upon each invocation, followed by some number of the arguments read
 from standard input.
 .I utility
 upon each invocation, followed by some number of the arguments read
 from standard input.


@@ -31,53 +60,70 @@ The
 .I utility
 is repeatedly executed until standard input is exhausted.
 .PP
 .I utility
 is repeatedly executed until standard input is exhausted.
 .PP

-Spaces and tabs may be embedded in arguments using single (`` ' '') or
-double (``"'') quotes or backslashes (``\e'').
-Single or double quotes escape all characters to the next matching quote
-character, backslashes escape the next character.
-Newlines may not be escaped.
+Spaces, tabs and newlines may be embedded in arguments using single (`` ' '')
+or double (``"'') quotes or backslashes (``\e'').
+Single quotes escape all non-single quote characters, excluding newlines,
+up to the matching single quote.
+Double quotes escape all non-double quote characters, excluding newlines,
+up to the matching double quote.
+Any single character, including newlines, may be escaped by a backslash.

 .PP
 .PP

-The following options are available:
+The options are as follows:

 .TP
 .TP

--n number
-Set the maximum number of arguments used from standard input for
-each invocation of the utility.
+\-f
+Force
+.I xargs
+to ignore the exit status returned by
+.IR utility .
+By default,
+.I xargs
+will exit immediately if
+.I utility
+exits with a non-zero exit status.
+This does not include ignoring
+.I utility
+exiting due to a signal or without calling
+.IR exit (2).
+.TP
+\-n number
+Set the maximum number of arguments taken from standard input for each
+invocation of the utility.

 An invocation of
 .I utility
 will use less than
 .I number
 standard input arguments if the number of bytes accumulated (see the
 .I \-s
 An invocation of
 .I utility
 will use less than
 .I number
 standard input arguments if the number of bytes accumulated (see the
 .I \-s

-option) exceeds the specified size or the last invocation of
-.I utility
-has fewer than
+option) exceeds the specified
+.I size
+or there are fewer than

 .I number
 .I number

-arguments remaining.
-The default value for
+arguments remaining for the last invocation of
+.IR utility .
+The current default value for

 .I number
 .I number

-is 255.
+is 5000.

 .TP
 .TP

--s size
-Set the maximum number of bytes to which the last component of the
+\-s size
+Set the maximum number of bytes for the command line length provided to
+.IR utility .
+The sum of the length of the utility name and the arguments passed to

 .I utility
 .I utility

-name, the command-line arguments, and the arguments read in from
-standard input may sum.
-The default value for
+(including NULL terminators) will be less than or equal to this number.
+The current default value for

 .I size
 .I size

-is 2048.
+is ARG_MAX - 2048.

 .TP
 .TP

--t
+\-t

 Echo the command to be executed to standard error immediately before it
 is executed.
 .TP
 Echo the command to be executed to standard error immediately before it
 is executed.
 .TP

--f
+\-x

 Force
 .I xargs
 Force
 .I xargs

-to ignore the exit status returned by
-.IR utility .
-Normally a nonzero exit status will cause
-.I xargs
-to exit with status 1.
+to terminate immediately if a command line containing
+.I number
+arguments will not fit in the specified (or default) command line length.

 .PP
 If no
 .I utility
 .PP
 If no
 .I utility


@@ -85,13 +131,30 @@ is specified,
 .IR echo (1)
 is used.
 .PP
 .IR echo (1)
 is used.
 .PP

-.I Utility
-should never read from the standard input.
+Undefined behavior may occur if
+.I utility
+reads from the standard input.

 .PP
 .I Xargs
 .PP
 .I Xargs

-exits with 0 if no error occurred, and 1 otherwise.
+exits with an exit status of 0 if no error occurs.
+If
+.I utility
+cannot be invoked, is terminated by a signal or terminates without
+calling
+.IR exit (2),
+.I xargs
+exits with an exit status of 127.
+If
+.I utility
+exits with an exit status other than 0,
+.I xargs
+exits with that exit status.
+Otherwise,
+.I xargs
+exits with an exit status of 1.

 .SH "SEE ALSO"
 .SH "SEE ALSO"

-echo(1)
+.IR echo (1),
+.IR find (1)

 .SH STANDARDS
 The
 .I xargs
 .SH STANDARDS
 The
 .I xargs