Re: Bug#501566: [MAN] Clarify two redirection mechanisms

[Stephane CHAZELAS <stephane.chazelas@gmail.com>]

2014-12-08 22:22:03 +0100, Stéphane Aulery:
> Le lundi 08 décembre 2014 à 08:37:38, Stephane CHAZELAS a écrit :
> > 2014-12-08 19:50:05 +0100, Stéphane Aulery:
> > >>>> [n1]>&n2    Redirect standard output (or fd n1) to the same "open
> > >>>>             file description" as on fd n2.
> > >>>> 
> > >>>> [n1]>&n2    Copy fd n2 as stdout (or fd n1)
[...]
> I wonder more and more if Herbert is willing to accept this tiny patch
> or another. I would not be wasting his time if he does not want or can
> not take care of that. This is free software, there is no obligation.
[...]

What matters here is the mistake fixed in the manual. n>&p has
been around since the end of the 70s. It's unlikely anyone will
learn anything about it from the dash man page. 

Let's make it:

  [n1]>&n2    Copy file descriptor n2 as stdout (or fd n1)
  [n1]<&n2    Copy file descriptor n2 as stdin (or fd n1)

That's more or less the POSIX wording. It may not be as
descriptive as other ones, but I can't imagine anyone
complaining about the correctness or accuracy of it.

-- 
Stephane