Re: interface to ask is a file is hidden

[Theodore Tso <tytso@mit.edu>]

On Sat, Oct 11, 2008 at 12:33:09AM +0200, Nicolò Chieffo wrote:
> Mm ok, with "hidden" I mean files that are not normally displayed when
> you list the directory, nothing more, sorry if I coulnd't explain
> well.
> 
> I'm just talking as a normal user, sorry.
> 
> Which is the correct definition of what I'm trying to explain?

The convention on all Unix systems is that files that begin with the
'.' character are not displayed by "ls" unless it is given the -a
option.  It is not done using an attribute; it is merely a convention
based on a filename.  So you can't "set an attribute" on all standard
Unix filesystems, and there's no hidden attribute to "get".

Note also that if you create a file named ".bashrc" and store it on a
VFAT or ntfs filesystem, it will not be displayed by the ls program.
It has nothing to do with any kind of attribute.

Part of what you clearly don't understand is that different operating
systems and different filesystems do this very differently.

						- Ted


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