Re: [gentoo-user] [A bit off-topic] Bash alias and &

[Peter Humphrey]

Oi! I'm missing e-mails!

On Sunday 12 Jun 2016 23:07:09 Andrew Lowe wrote:
> On 06/12/16 22:43, Alan McKinnon wrote:

I haven't received Alan's e-mail.

> > On 12/06/2016 16:33, Nico Verrijdt wrote:
> >> Hi Andrew,
> >>
> >> 2016-06-12 16:26 GMT+02:00 Andrew Lowe <agl@×××××××.au
> >>
> >> <mailto:agl@×××××××.au>>:
> >>     Hi all,
> >>
> >>              A bit off topic here, but there are plenty of people who
> >>
> >>     seem to know their shells back to front so here goes.
> >>
> >>              I have set up a Win32 based development environment,
> >>
> >>     bash/cc/ls/etc/etc, for 1st year Engineering students who have to
> >>     learn C on a command line. It's fine for me to remember to put the
> >>     &
> >>     at the end of the command when I fire up the editor but for them,
> >>     it's major angst.
> >>
> >>              The first thing that comes to mind is an alias. Just off
> >>
> >>     the top of my head I tried:
> >>              alias "npp=npp %1 &"
> >>
> >> Shouldn't this be: alias npp="npp %1 &"  ?
> >>
> >>     npp being the editor, but that didn't work. Is an alias the
> >>     best/easiest way to do this and if so, what would the syntax be, or
> >>     is there a better way?
> >>
> >>              Any thoughts, greatly appreciated,
> >>
> >>                      Andrew
> >>
> >> Hope this helps,
> >> Nico
> >
> > Or just tell them to remember to add the & at the end.
> > With an alias what will they do when they don't want it?
> >
> > Or look at it this way:
> >
> > It's syntax, it's important. C is probably more syntax-critical than any
> > other language around (binds to the right, anyone?) so what's the
> > problem with requiring correct syntax on the command line as well?
> >
> > Obligatory disclaimer: I've recently had a bellyache full of dumb people
> > who insist I put code when a human (themselves) belongs...
>
> 	Yes, I agree BUT, this is a "half subject" in a common first year of an
> Engineering degree. These are people who will become
> Civil/Mechanical/Electrical/Chemical Engineers and they have no desire
> to learn programming. To put it bluntly, all they are interested in is
> their car, getting drunk and trying to get a root - the order may vary,
> but that is the top three priorities. Anything else is just too much to
> think about.
>
> 	In reality, I'm doing this to make my life easier. As much as I tell
> them to do something, write up documents that tell them what to do and
> reiterate what they have to do, I still get the question "It's broken,
> it won't do as I want...."
>
> 	Andrew
>
> p.s. Nico's point was a typo on my part in the email.

Now that's a classic debug case - where are these messages being dropped?

It's the second time I've noticed it in this list today.

-- 
Rgds
Peter