#754169 dash: obscure error when attempting to use file descriptors larger than 9

Package:
dash
Source:
dash
Description:
POSIX-compliant shell
Submitter:
Nick
Date:
2017-12-23 10:33:03 UTC
Severity:
wishlist
#754169#5
Date:
2014-07-08 10:39:04 UTC
From:
To:
I gather from this issue that dash will not handle double-digit file descriptors:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/dash/+bug/249620

For example, if I try this:

    exec 200>foo

I get the error

    exec: 200: not found

That thread also reports that this behaviour is not intended to be changed.  However, this error is unhelpful for the user, so I would request that it would be more explicit, perhaps something like "file descriptors greater than 9 are not supported".


Thanks

N
#754169#10
Date:
2014-07-08 18:53:01 UTC
From:
To:
forcemerge 590920 754169
quit

Hi Nick,

Nick wrote:
[...]

Thanks for writing.  Merging with a related report.

If you can find a way to fix this (either the limitation or the
message) without increasing dash's compiled code size too much,
upstream will probably be happy. ;-)
http://gondor.apana.org.au/~herbert/dash/ has more details about how
to reach upstream, find patches and discussion for other features,
etc.

Regards,
Jonathan
#754169#23
Date:
2017-12-23 10:28:38 UTC
From:
To:
[image: Inline images 1]