Why is there an extra space when I type “ls” in the Desktop directory?
Just out of curiosity, I was wondering if there is a reason for the extra space when I type ls in the Desktop directory. Compare...
~/Desktop$ ls
file1 file2 file3
...to...
~/Documents$ ls
file1 file2 file3
Notice that when I type ls on the Desktop I get an extra space at the beginning of the line (not part of the filename). I can't find any other example location where I get this extra space at the beginning of the line. Does anyone else get this? Is there a reason?
NB: I am using Ubuntu Bionic Beaver LTS release and the default terminal that ships with it.
command-line gnome-terminal ls
edited 13 hours ago
RonJohn
402310
asked Mar 7 at 8:29
BartBart
13014
add a comment |
Just out of curiosity, I was wondering if there is a reason for the extra space when I type ls in the Desktop directory. Compare...
~/Desktop$ ls
file1 file2 file3
...to...
~/Documents$ ls
file1 file2 file3
Notice that when I type ls on the Desktop I get an extra space at the beginning of the line (not part of the filename). I can't find any other example location where I get this extra space at the beginning of the line. Does anyone else get this? Is there a reason?
NB: I am using Ubuntu Bionic Beaver LTS release and the default terminal that ships with it.
command-line gnome-terminal ls
edited 13 hours ago
RonJohn
402310
asked Mar 7 at 8:29
BartBart
13014
I don't have this. If i create a file with just a space as the name (touch " ") I have two spaces in front.
– RoVo
Mar 7 at 8:33
5
Runls -lainstead orfind -type f -printf "file: -%P-n"and provide the output. Likely there's a file with non-printable character. Coloring of files also potentially could affect it, so trylsordircommand
– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
Mar 7 at 8:39
I could not see any files with non-printable characters, when I tried your first 2 suggestions. I still have a space when I try ls but not when I use dir...
– Bart
Mar 7 at 10:14
25
Present your actual output.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Mar 7 at 18:05
add a comment |
Just out of curiosity, I was wondering if there is a reason for the extra space when I type ls in the Desktop directory. Compare...
~/Desktop$ ls
file1 file2 file3
...to...
~/Documents$ ls
file1 file2 file3
Notice that when I type ls on the Desktop I get an extra space at the beginning of the line (not part of the filename). I can't find any other example location where I get this extra space at the beginning of the line. Does anyone else get this? Is there a reason?
NB: I am using Ubuntu Bionic Beaver LTS release and the default terminal that ships with it.
command-line gnome-terminal ls
edited 13 hours ago
RonJohn
402310
asked Mar 7 at 8:29
BartBart
13014
Just out of curiosity, I was wondering if there is a reason for the extra space when I type ls in the Desktop directory. Compare...
~/Desktop$ ls
file1 file2 file3
...to...
~/Documents$ ls
file1 file2 file3
Notice that when I type ls on the Desktop I get an extra space at the beginning of the line (not part of the filename). I can't find any other example location where I get this extra space at the beginning of the line. Does anyone else get this? Is there a reason?
NB: I am using Ubuntu Bionic Beaver LTS release and the default terminal that ships with it.
command-line gnome-terminal ls
command-line gnome-terminal ls
edited 13 hours ago
RonJohn
402310
asked Mar 7 at 8:29
BartBart
13014
edited 13 hours ago
RonJohn
402310
asked Mar 7 at 8:29
BartBart
13014
edited 13 hours ago
RonJohn
402310
edited 13 hours ago
RonJohn
402310
edited 13 hours ago
RonJohn
402310
402310
asked Mar 7 at 8:29
BartBart
13014
asked Mar 7 at 8:29
BartBart
13014
asked Mar 7 at 8:29
BartBart
13014
13014
I don't have this. If i create a file with just a space as the name (touch " ") I have two spaces in front.
– RoVo
Mar 7 at 8:33
5
Runls -lainstead orfind -type f -printf "file: -%P-n"and provide the output. Likely there's a file with non-printable character. Coloring of files also potentially could affect it, so trylsordircommand
– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
Mar 7 at 8:39
I could not see any files with non-printable characters, when I tried your first 2 suggestions. I still have a space when I try ls but not when I use dir...
– Bart
Mar 7 at 10:14
25
Present your actual output.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Mar 7 at 18:05
add a comment |
I don't have this. If i create a file with just a space as the name (touch " ") I have two spaces in front.
– RoVo
Mar 7 at 8:33
5
Runls -lainstead orfind -type f -printf "file: -%P-n"and provide the output. Likely there's a file with non-printable character. Coloring of files also potentially could affect it, so trylsordircommand
– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
Mar 7 at 8:39
I could not see any files with non-printable characters, when I tried your first 2 suggestions. I still have a space when I try ls but not when I use dir...
– Bart
Mar 7 at 10:14
25
Present your actual output.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Mar 7 at 18:05
I don't have this. If i create a file with just a space as the name (
touch " ") I have two spaces in front.– RoVo
Mar 7 at 8:33
I don't have this. If i create a file with just a space as the name (
touch " ") I have two spaces in front.– RoVo
Mar 7 at 8:33
5
5
Run
ls -la instead or find -type f -printf "file: -%P-n" and provide the output. Likely there's a file with non-printable character. Coloring of files also potentially could affect it, so try ls or dir command– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
Mar 7 at 8:39
Run
ls -la instead or find -type f -printf "file: -%P-n" and provide the output. Likely there's a file with non-printable character. Coloring of files also potentially could affect it, so try ls or dir command– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
Mar 7 at 8:39
I could not see any files with non-printable characters, when I tried your first 2 suggestions. I still have a space when I try ls but not when I use dir...
– Bart
Mar 7 at 10:14
I could not see any files with non-printable characters, when I tried your first 2 suggestions. I still have a space when I try ls but not when I use dir...
– Bart
Mar 7 at 10:14
25
25
Present your actual output.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Mar 7 at 18:05
Present your actual output.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Mar 7 at 18:05
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
The extra space appears when you have file names in your directory needing ' around them (e.g. file names with spaces or other special characters).
~/mytmp$ ls
a 'file(abc)' proyecto3.csv test Test.sh
b 'file(ab,c?).mp4' rootfile Test1.txt Test.zip
F26 'file(abc?).mp4' scr Test2.test vowels
Feb guess script Test2.txt
'Feb 26 xx' hw something test.rar
After removing the 'strange' files I get:
~/mytmp$ ls
a guess proyecto3.csv script test Test2.txt Test.sh
b hw rootfile something Test1.txt test.rar Test.zip
F26 loop scr speak Test2.test testscript vowels
answered Mar 7 at 10:23
mucluxmuclux
3,0211929
add a comment |
I'm pretty sure file1 file2 file3 is not what's exactly shown on your screen. You omitted precious information (the actual filenames) that might easily be relevant.
My assumption is that you have a filename that contains a space or other special character.
Newer version of coreutils's ls quote such filenames, typically in single quotes. Plus, if there's at least one file requiring such quoting, it adds a space in front of all other filenames so that they align up "nicely" if they happen to be underneath each other, that is, the single quote mark (apostrophe) is ignored for alignment.
See --quoting-style and -N in the manual page of ls for some more details, and the section "Formatting the file names" in its info page for even more details. You might e.g. consider aliasing ls to ls -N.
answered Mar 7 at 10:23
egmontegmont
4,33611126
add a comment |
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2 Answers
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2 Answers
2
active
oldest
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oldest
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oldest
votes
The extra space appears when you have file names in your directory needing ' around them (e.g. file names with spaces or other special characters).
~/mytmp$ ls
a 'file(abc)' proyecto3.csv test Test.sh
b 'file(ab,c?).mp4' rootfile Test1.txt Test.zip
F26 'file(abc?).mp4' scr Test2.test vowels
Feb guess script Test2.txt
'Feb 26 xx' hw something test.rar
After removing the 'strange' files I get:
~/mytmp$ ls
a guess proyecto3.csv script test Test2.txt Test.sh
b hw rootfile something Test1.txt test.rar Test.zip
F26 loop scr speak Test2.test testscript vowels
answered Mar 7 at 10:23
mucluxmuclux
3,0211929
add a comment |
The extra space appears when you have file names in your directory needing ' around them (e.g. file names with spaces or other special characters).
~/mytmp$ ls
a 'file(abc)' proyecto3.csv test Test.sh
b 'file(ab,c?).mp4' rootfile Test1.txt Test.zip
F26 'file(abc?).mp4' scr Test2.test vowels
Feb guess script Test2.txt
'Feb 26 xx' hw something test.rar
After removing the 'strange' files I get:
~/mytmp$ ls
a guess proyecto3.csv script test Test2.txt Test.sh
b hw rootfile something Test1.txt test.rar Test.zip
F26 loop scr speak Test2.test testscript vowels
answered Mar 7 at 10:23
mucluxmuclux
3,0211929
add a comment |
The extra space appears when you have file names in your directory needing ' around them (e.g. file names with spaces or other special characters).
~/mytmp$ ls
a 'file(abc)' proyecto3.csv test Test.sh
b 'file(ab,c?).mp4' rootfile Test1.txt Test.zip
F26 'file(abc?).mp4' scr Test2.test vowels
Feb guess script Test2.txt
'Feb 26 xx' hw something test.rar
After removing the 'strange' files I get:
~/mytmp$ ls
a guess proyecto3.csv script test Test2.txt Test.sh
b hw rootfile something Test1.txt test.rar Test.zip
F26 loop scr speak Test2.test testscript vowels
answered Mar 7 at 10:23
mucluxmuclux
3,0211929
The extra space appears when you have file names in your directory needing ' around them (e.g. file names with spaces or other special characters).
~/mytmp$ ls
a 'file(abc)' proyecto3.csv test Test.sh
b 'file(ab,c?).mp4' rootfile Test1.txt Test.zip
F26 'file(abc?).mp4' scr Test2.test vowels
Feb guess script Test2.txt
'Feb 26 xx' hw something test.rar
After removing the 'strange' files I get:
~/mytmp$ ls
a guess proyecto3.csv script test Test2.txt Test.sh
b hw rootfile something Test1.txt test.rar Test.zip
F26 loop scr speak Test2.test testscript vowels
answered Mar 7 at 10:23
mucluxmuclux
3,0211929
answered Mar 7 at 10:23
mucluxmuclux
3,0211929
answered Mar 7 at 10:23
mucluxmuclux
3,0211929
answered Mar 7 at 10:23
mucluxmuclux
3,0211929
3,0211929
add a comment |
add a comment |
I'm pretty sure file1 file2 file3 is not what's exactly shown on your screen. You omitted precious information (the actual filenames) that might easily be relevant.
My assumption is that you have a filename that contains a space or other special character.
Newer version of coreutils's ls quote such filenames, typically in single quotes. Plus, if there's at least one file requiring such quoting, it adds a space in front of all other filenames so that they align up "nicely" if they happen to be underneath each other, that is, the single quote mark (apostrophe) is ignored for alignment.
See --quoting-style and -N in the manual page of ls for some more details, and the section "Formatting the file names" in its info page for even more details. You might e.g. consider aliasing ls to ls -N.
answered Mar 7 at 10:23
egmontegmont
4,33611126
add a comment |
I'm pretty sure file1 file2 file3 is not what's exactly shown on your screen. You omitted precious information (the actual filenames) that might easily be relevant.
My assumption is that you have a filename that contains a space or other special character.
Newer version of coreutils's ls quote such filenames, typically in single quotes. Plus, if there's at least one file requiring such quoting, it adds a space in front of all other filenames so that they align up "nicely" if they happen to be underneath each other, that is, the single quote mark (apostrophe) is ignored for alignment.
See --quoting-style and -N in the manual page of ls for some more details, and the section "Formatting the file names" in its info page for even more details. You might e.g. consider aliasing ls to ls -N.
answered Mar 7 at 10:23
egmontegmont
4,33611126
add a comment |
I'm pretty sure file1 file2 file3 is not what's exactly shown on your screen. You omitted precious information (the actual filenames) that might easily be relevant.
My assumption is that you have a filename that contains a space or other special character.
Newer version of coreutils's ls quote such filenames, typically in single quotes. Plus, if there's at least one file requiring such quoting, it adds a space in front of all other filenames so that they align up "nicely" if they happen to be underneath each other, that is, the single quote mark (apostrophe) is ignored for alignment.
See --quoting-style and -N in the manual page of ls for some more details, and the section "Formatting the file names" in its info page for even more details. You might e.g. consider aliasing ls to ls -N.
answered Mar 7 at 10:23
egmontegmont
4,33611126
I'm pretty sure file1 file2 file3 is not what's exactly shown on your screen. You omitted precious information (the actual filenames) that might easily be relevant.
My assumption is that you have a filename that contains a space or other special character.
Newer version of coreutils's ls quote such filenames, typically in single quotes. Plus, if there's at least one file requiring such quoting, it adds a space in front of all other filenames so that they align up "nicely" if they happen to be underneath each other, that is, the single quote mark (apostrophe) is ignored for alignment.
See --quoting-style and -N in the manual page of ls for some more details, and the section "Formatting the file names" in its info page for even more details. You might e.g. consider aliasing ls to ls -N.
answered Mar 7 at 10:23
egmontegmont
4,33611126
edited Mar 7 at 12:12
answered Mar 7 at 10:23
egmontegmont
4,33611126
answered Mar 7 at 10:23
egmontegmont
4,33611126
answered Mar 7 at 10:23
egmontegmont
4,33611126
4,33611126
add a comment |
add a comment |
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I don't have this. If i create a file with just a space as the name (
touch " ") I have two spaces in front.– RoVo
Mar 7 at 8:33
5
Run
ls -lainstead orfind -type f -printf "file: -%P-n"and provide the output. Likely there's a file with non-printable character. Coloring of files also potentially could affect it, so trylsordircommand– Sergiy Kolodyazhnyy
Mar 7 at 8:39
I could not see any files with non-printable characters, when I tried your first 2 suggestions. I still have a space when I try ls but not when I use dir...
– Bart
Mar 7 at 10:14
25
Present your actual output.
– Lightness Races in Orbit
Mar 7 at 18:05