[Bug: 21.4.17] 'head -n 1' GNU pedantry

[David Kastrup]

Ed Avis <avised at kbcfp.com> writes:

> ================================================================
> Dear Bug Team!
>
> While configuring 21.4.17 from source I see the warnings
>
> head: `-1' option is obsolete; use `-n 1'
> Try `head --help' for more information.
>
> % head --version
> head (GNU coreutils) 5.3.0
> Written by David MacKenzie and Jim Meyering.
>
> Copyright (C) 2005 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
> This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is NO
> warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
>
> I suppose that 'head' invocations in various shell scripts need to
> be changed to the brave GNU way of doing things.

>From the info page:


       On older systems, `head' supports an obsolete option
    `-COUNTOPTIONS', which is recognized only if it is specified first.
    COUNT is a decimal number optionally followed by a size letter (`b',
    `k', `m') as in `-c', or `l' to mean count by lines, or other option
    letters (`cqv').  POSIX 1003.1-2001 (*note Standards conformance::)
    does not allow this; use `-c COUNT' or `-n COUNT' instead.

So you should complain about the POSIX committees instead of GNU.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum