-exec on find(1) broken

[Paul McFerrin]

Those ideas don't work either....

    /i/mp3.$ find . -type f -mtime +18 -exec /bin/echo '\;' | more
    find: missing argument to `-exec'

while

    /i/mp3.$ find . -type f -mtime +18 -exec /bin/echo ';' | more
    /i/mp3.$ find . -type f -mtime +18 -exec /bin/echo \; | more

both produces many empty lines as if there is NO argument being passed.  
The main purpose is to replace /bin/echo with /bin/rm when I get the 
argument figured out.  I think -exec is really broken.  If you can get a 
working example, let me know.

-paul

   


Gary Johnson wrote:
> On 2007-10-09, Paul McFerrin wrote:
>   
>> I think I'm going nuts.  What am I doing wrong?  Can't seem to get -exec to 
>> work.
>>
>>    /i/mp3.$ find . -type f -mtime +18 -exec /bin/echo \{\;\} | more
>>    find: missing argument to `-exec'
>>    /i/mp3.$ find . -type f -mtime +18 -exec /bin/echo \{\} | more    find: 
>> missing argument to `-exec'
>>    /i/mp3.$ find . -type f -mtime +18 -exec /bin/echo '\;' | more
>>    find: missing argument to `-exec'
>>    /i/mp3.$ find . -type f -mtime +18 -exec /bin/echo \{;\} | more
>>    find: missing argument to `-exec'
>>    /i/mp3.$ find . -type f -mtime +18 -exec echo '\;' | more
>>    find: missing argument to `-exec'
>>
>> There is NO missing argument to -exec.  What gives?  Is it really broken or 
>> do I not understand the manual page correctly?
>>     
>
> You're putting too many quotes around the semicolon.  Use
>
>    \;
>
> or
>
>    ';'
>
> but not both.  For example,
>
>    find . -type f -mtime +18 -exec /bin/echo \; | more
>
> If you want to echo the name of each file found, use {} like this:
>
>    find . -type f -mtime +18 -exec /bin/echo {} \; | more
>
> However, if that's all you want to do, the -exec isn't 
> necessary--just use -print:
>
>    find . -type f -mtime +18 -print | more
>
> In modern implementations of find, such as Cygwin's, the -print 
> usually isn't necessary either, so you could get by with just this:
>
>    find . -type f -mtime +18 | more
>
> Also, please don't start new threads by replying to other posts--it 
> messes up threading.  Send mail directly to the list instead.
>
> Regards,
> Gary
>
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