Debian Bug report logs - #231480
/usr/bin/xargs: allow -i with -l greater than 1

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Message #5 received at submit@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Mike Fedyk <mfedyk@matchmail.com>

To: Debian Bug Tracking System <submit@bugs.debian.org>

Subject: /usr/bin/xargs: allow -i with -l greater than 1

Date: Fri, 06 Feb 2004 12:57:06 -0800

Package: findutils
Version: 4.1.20-3
Severity: wishlist
File: /usr/bin/xargs

It is useful to be able to run a command like this:

find -type f |xargs -i -l10 echo mv '{}' dest

With that I get:

mv '{}' dest [list of 10 files]

Where I would expect:

mv [list of 10 files] dest

-- System Information:
Debian Release: testing/unstable
Architecture: i386
Kernel: Linux srv-lnx2600 2.6.1-bk2-nfs-stale-file-handles #2 SMP Fri Jan 16 15:11:17 PST 2004 i686
Locale: LANG=C, LC_CTYPE=C

Versions of packages findutils depends on:
ii  libc6                       2.3.2.ds1-11 GNU C Library: Shared libraries an

-- no debconf information

Message #18 received at 231480-done@bugs.debian.org (full text, mbox, reply):

From: Andreas Metzler <ametzler@bebt.de>

To: 231480-done@bugs.debian.org

Subject: Re: Bug#231480: /usr/bin/xargs: allow -i with -l greater than 1

Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2022 14:12:09 +0200

On 2004-02-06 Mike Fedyk <mfedyk@matchmail.com> wrote:
> Package: findutils
> Version: 4.1.20-3
> Severity: wishlist
> File: /usr/bin/xargs

> It is useful to be able to run a command like this:

> find -type f |xargs -i -l10 echo mv '{}' dest

> With that I get:

> mv '{}' dest [list of 10 files]

> Where I would expect:

> mv [list of 10 files] dest

Hello,

this was forwarded upstream to
https://savannah.gnu.org/bugs/index.php?func=detailitem&item_id=13041
but the wish was denied with following rationale:
---------------
As things turn out, findutils is behaving in the same way as many other
implementations, and BSD's behaviour, though sensible, is unusual.
Therefore I don't plan to change the software but rather to apply your
patch updating the documentation.
---------------

cu Andreas

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