Re: [PATCH] Re: dd blocks/bytes at a time

[Jim Meyering]

Olivier Delhomme <address@hidden> wrote:

> Le Wed, 20 Dec 2006 07:52:20 +0800, Dan Jacobson disait :
>
>> On both the dd man and Info pages, we see
>>        count=BLOCKS
>>               copy only BLOCKS input blocks
>> OK, but one must use ones brain, heavens forbid, to figure out that
>> e.g., these
>>
>>        bs=BYTES
>>               force ibs=BYTES and obs=BYTES
>>
>>        ibs=BYTES
>>               read BYTES bytes at a time
>>
>> change the block size. Because you don't say that that is what they
>> do. You just say "bytes at a time", and the user has to figure out the
>> connection to BLOCKS and them.
>
> Hello,
>
> Here is a patch that may change this. Do you think it is better that
> way ?
>
> Jim : I already have signed the FSF agreement for coreutils :-)

Thank you for the patch!
I've applied it, with minor changes:

diff --git a/doc/ChangeLog b/doc/ChangeLog
index 60341ab..201070d 100644
--- a/doc/ChangeLog
+++ b/doc/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+2006-12-21  Jim Meyering  <address@hidden>
+
+       * coreutils.texi (dd invocation): Improve the documentation
+       for bs, ibs, obs, and cbs.  Suggestion from Dan Jacobson.
+       Patch by Olivier Delhomme.
+
 2006-12-14  Jim Meyering  <address@hidden>

        * coreutils.texi: Remove two doubled words.
diff --git a/doc/coreutils.texi b/doc/coreutils.texi
index c7952fa..98bfadb 100644
--- a/doc/coreutils.texi
+++ b/doc/coreutils.texi
@@ -7155,25 +7155,28 @@ bytes (or the size specified with @samp{seek=}).
 @opindex ibs
 @cindex block size of input
 @cindex input block size
-Read @var{bytes} bytes at a time.
+Set the input block size to @var{bytes}.
+This makes @command{dd} read @var{bytes} per block.

 @item address@hidden
 @opindex obs
 @cindex block size of output
 @cindex output block size
-Write @var{bytes} bytes at a time.
+Set the output block size to @var{bytes}.
+This makes @command{dd} write @var{bytes} per block.

 @item address@hidden
 @opindex bs
 @cindex block size
-Both read and write @var{bytes} bytes at a time.  This overrides
address@hidden and @samp{obs}.
+Set both input and output block sizes to @var{bytes}.
+This makes @command{dd} read and write @var{bytes} per block,
+overriding @samp{ibs} and @samp{obs}.

 @item address@hidden
 @opindex cbs
 @cindex block size of conversion
 @cindex conversion block size
-Convert @var{bytes} bytes at a time.
+Set the conversion block size to @var{bytes}.

 @item address@hidden
 @opindex skip
--
1.4.4.3.g5485