Today whilst working with some graduates who are all using Apple Macs I find out that the default zsh that is now used as the command line does not follow the common Shell standards!
This particular nugget that was found will actually cause you a problem if you're a real system administrator who knows how to clear out log files without having to use rm or rebooting the systems or restarting the process.
The issue I refer to is the use of the redirection symbols > and >>.
Most of you are familiar with doing things such as;
echo "Hello" >somefile
ps -ef > allprocesses
But the real system administrators reading this also know that you should be able to do;
>/var/log/messages
Obviously as root.
This command should empty the log file without removing it, and freeing up disk space on that partition.
This is the conforming standard for the use of redirection in the majority of Unix and Linux (GNU) shells.
ZSH however does not do this any more! So beware.
Instead ZSH when you do;
>somefile
will wait for your to type something in until you press ^D on an empty line. This as all sysadmins know is;
cat >somefile
So in ZSH to perform the same action as real shells now need to;
>somefile
^D
So the question begs, who did this and why?
Yet another reason I tell people to buy a better regular laptop without an operating system and simply install a version of Linux that you like the look of and customise it to your preferred look and feel.
Mac OS != Unis
Mac OS == Broken Unix.
