[\fB\-\-max\-chars\fR=\fImax-chars\fR]
[\fB\-P \fImax-procs\fR]
[\fB\-\-max\-procs\fR=\fImax-procs\fR]
+[\fB\-\-process\-slot\-var\fR=\fIname\fR]
[\fB\-\-interactive\fR]
[\fB\-\-verbose\fR]
[\fB\-\-exit\fR]
message is issued on stderr when this happens.
.SH OPTIONS
.TP
-.PD 0
-.BI "\-\-arg\-file=" file
-.TP
-.PD 0
-.BI "\-a " file
-Read items from
-.I file
-instead of standard input. If you use this option, stdin remains
-unchanged when commands are run. Otherwise, stdin is redirected
-from
-.IR /dev/null .
-
-.TP
-.PD 0
-.B \-\-null
-.TP
.PD
-.B \-0
+.B \-0, \-\-null
Input items are terminated by a null character instead of by
whitespace, and the quotes and backslash are not special (every
character is taken literally). Disables the end of file string, which
\-print0 option produces input suitable for this mode.
.TP
-.PD 0
-.BI "\-\-delimiter=" delim
+.PD
+.BI "\-a " file ", \-\-arg\-file=" file
+Read items from
+.I file
+instead of standard input. If you use this option, stdin remains
+unchanged when commands are run. Otherwise, stdin is redirected
+from
+.IR /dev/null .
+
.TP
.PD
-.BI \-d " delim"
-Input items are terminated by the specified character. Quotes and
-backslash are not special; every character in the input is taken
-literally. Disables the end-of-file string, which is treated like any
-other argument. This can be used when the input consists of simply
-newline-separated items, although it is almost always better to design
-your program to use
-.B \-\-null
-where this is possible. The specified
+.BI "\-\-delimiter=" delim ", \-d" " delim"
+Input items are terminated by the specified character. The specified
delimiter may be a single character, a C-style character escape such
as
.BR \en ,
escape codes are understood as for the
.B printf
command. Multibyte characters are not supported.
+When processing the input, quotes and backslash are not special; every
+character in the input is taken literally. The
+.B \-d
+option disables any end-of-file string, which is treated like any
+other argument. You can use this option when the input consists of
+simply newline-separated items, although it is almost always better to
+design your program to use
+.B \-\-null
+where this is possible.
.TP
.BI \-E " eof-str"
.B \-e
is used, no end of file string is used.
.TP
-.PD 0
-.BR "\-\-eof" [\fI=eof-str\fR]
-.TP
.PD
-.BR \-e [ \fIeof-str\fR]
+.BR \-e "[\fIeof-str\fR], " "\-\-eof" [\fI=eof-str\fR]
This option is a synonym for the
.B \-E
option. Use
.B \-e
is used, no end of file string is used.
.TP
-.B "\-\-help"
-Print a summary of the options to
-.B xargs
-and exit.
-.TP
.BI \-I " replace-str"
Replace occurrences of \fIreplace-str\fR in the initial-arguments with
names read from standard input. Also, unquoted blanks do not
.B \-L
1.
.TP
-.PD 0
-.BR "\-\-replace" [\fI=replace-str\fR]
-.TP
.PD
-.BR \-i "[\fIreplace-str\fR]"
+.BR \-i "[\fIreplace-str\fR], " "\-\-replace" [\fI=replace-str\fR]
This option is a synonym for
.BI \-I replace-str
if
next input line. Implies
.BR \-x .
.TP
-.PD 0
-.BR \-\-max-lines "[=\fImax-lines\fR]"
-.TP
.PD
-.BR \-l "[\fImax-lines\fR]"
+.BR \-l "[\fImax-lines\fR], " \-\-max-lines "[=\fImax-lines\fR]"
Synonym for the
.B \-L
option. Unlike
.B \-L
instead.
.TP
-.PD 0
-.BR "\-\-max\-args" =\fImax-args\fR
-.TP
.PD
-.BI \-n " max-args"
+.BI \-n " max-args\fB, \fI" "\-\-max\-args" \fR=\fImax-args
Use at most \fImax-args\fR arguments per command line. Fewer than
.I max-args
arguments will be used if the size (see the
option is given, in which case
.B xargs will exit.
.TP
-.PD 0
-.B \-\-interactive
+.PD
+.BI \-P " max-procs\fR, \fI" \-\-max\-procs "\fR=\fImax-procs"
+Run up to
+.I max-procs
+processes at a time; the default is 1. If
+.I max-procs
+is 0,
+.B xargs
+will run as many processes as
+possible at a time. Use the
+.B \-n
+option or the
+.B \-L
+option with
+.BR \-P ;
+otherwise chances are that only one exec will be done.
+While
+.B xargs
+is running, you can
+send its process
+a SIGUSR1 signal to increase the number of commands to run simultaneously,
+or a SIGUSR2 to decrease the number. You cannot decrease it below 1.
+.B xargs
+never terminates its commands; when asked to decrease, it merely
+waits for more than one existing command to terminate before starting
+another.
+
+.B Please note
+that it is up to the called processes to properly manage parallel
+access to shared resources. For example, if more than one of them
+tries to print to stdout, the ouptut will be produced in an
+indeterminate order (and very likely mixed up) unless the processes
+collaborate in some way to prevent this. Using some kind of locking
+scheme is one way to prevent such problems. In general, using a
+locking scheme will help ensure correct output but reduce performance.
+If you don't want to tolerate the performance difference, simply
+arrange for each process to produce a separate output file (or
+otherwise use separate resources).
.TP
.PD
-.B \-p
+.B \-p, \-\-interactive
Prompt the user about whether to run each command line and read a line
from the terminal. Only run the command line if the response starts
with `y' or `Y'. Implies
.BR -t .
.TP
-.PD 0
-.B \-\-no\-run\-if\-empty
+.PD
+.BR \-\-process\-slot\-var "=\fIname\fR"
+Set the environment variable
+.I name
+to a unique value in each running child process. Values are reused
+once child processes exit. This can be used in a rudimentary load
+distribution scheme, for example.
.TP
.PD
-.B \-r
+.B \-r, \-\-no\-run\-if\-empty
If the standard input does not contain any nonblanks, do not run the
command. Normally, the command is run once even if there is no input.
This option is a GNU extension.
.TP
-.PD 0
-.BR \-\-max\-chars "=\fImax-chars\fR"
-.TP
.PD
-.BI \-s " max-chars"
+.BI -s " max-chars\fR, \fI" \-\-max\-chars "=\fImax-chars\fR"
Use at most \fImax-chars\fR characters per command line, including the
command and initial-arguments and the terminating nulls at the ends of
the argument strings. The largest allowed value is system-dependent,
.B xargs
automatically adapts to tighter constraints.
.TP
-.PD 0
-.B \-\-verbose
-.TP
-.PD
-.B \-t
-Print the command line on the standard error output before executing
-it.
-.TP
-.B "\-\-version"
-Print the version number of
-.B xargs
-and exit.
-.TP
.B "\-\-show\\-limits"
Display the limits on the command-line length which are imposed by the
operating system,
.B xargs
to do anything.
.TP
-.PD 0
-.B \-\-exit
+.B \-t, \-\-verbose
+Print the command line on the standard error output before executing
+it.
.TP
.PD
-.B \-x
+.B \-x, \-\-exit
Exit if the size (see the
.B \-s
option) is exceeded.
.TP
-.PD 0
-.BR \-\-max\-procs "=\fImax-procs\fR"
-.TP
-.PD
-.BI \-P " max-procs"
-Run up to
-.I max-procs
-processes at a time; the default is 1. If
-.I max-procs
-is 0,
-.B xargs
-will run as many processes as
-possible at a time. Use the
-.B \-n
-option or the
-.B \-L
-option with
-.BR \-P ;
-otherwise chances are that only one exec will be done.
-While
+.B "\-\-help"
+Print a summary of the options to
.B xargs
-is running, you can
-send its process
-a SIGUSR1 signal to increase the number of commands to run simultaneously,
-or a SIGUSR2 to decrease the number. You cannot decrease it below 1.
+and exit.
+.TP
+.B "\-\-version"
+Print the version number of
.B xargs
-never terminates its commands; when asked to decrease, it merely
-waits for more than one existing command to terminate before starting
-another.
+and exit.
.SH "EXAMPLES"
.nf
.B find /tmp \-name core \-type f \-print | xargs /bin/rm \-f
.SH "SEE ALSO"
\fBfind\fP(1), \fBlocate\fP(1), \fBlocatedb\fP(5), \fBupdatedb\fP(1),
-\fBfork\fP(2), \fBexecvp\fP(3),
+\fBfork\fP(2), \fBexecvp\fP(3),
\fBkill\fP(1), \fBsignal\fP(7),
-\fBFinding Files\fP (on-line in Info, or printed)
+
+The full documentation for
+.B xargs
+is maintained as a Texinfo manual. If the
+.B info
+and
+.B xargs
+programs are properly installed at your site, the command
+.B info xargs
+should give you access to the complete manual.
+
.SH "BUGS"
The
.B \-L
projects / platform / upstream / findutils.git / blobdiff