Re: Couple possible bugs in echo

[Bob Proulx]

> # echo "-n"

There has always been a split in the unix world.  SysV uses echo "\c"
to avoid printing the newline while BSD uses echo -n to avoid printing
the newline.  [If you need to avoid printing the newline it is better
to use 'printf' instead.  It is portable and standard.]

> You get no output.  I noticed that if you attempt to echo any of he options
> listed in the man page for echo they will be interpreted as options and not
> as the string you want to echo.
> 
> I can't be sure if this is a bug or if there is some subtlety I am missing.
> I would include the version of echo I was using but that brings me to my
> second possible bug.  When I type:

A subtlety.  'echo' is a builtin to the shell.  /bin/echo is the
external standalone which is used when doing something like this
contrived example.  Here there is no shell to be able to use a
builtin.  This is why most builtin's have standalone versions too.

  find . -type f -exec echo mv {} {}.old \; > /tmp/mvscript.sh

Use 'type' to find out which you are using.

  type echo
  echo is a shell builtin.

> # echo --version
> 
> To get the version it echos --version

In order to make sure you are getting the GNU shellutils version you
can specify the full path.

  /bin/echo --version
  /bin/echo --help

> The man page is for sh utils 2.0 if that helps.

Check out this faq entry and I am sure it will answer your question.
If not then come back and ask again.

  
http://www.gnu.org/software/fileutils/doc/faq/#I%20am%20having%20a%20problem%20with%20kill

HTH
Bob