tail "-f" option fails two ways in version 5.93

[Jeff Kinz]

I may have found a bug in tail.

The -f option fails to "follow" a file when used with a line count.

Examples:


address@hidden src]# cat EXAMPLES
Script started on Wed 09 Nov 2005 01:09:10 PM EST



address@hidden src]# ./tail --version
tail (GNU coreutils) 5.93
Copyright (C) 2005 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software.  You may redistribute copies of it under the
terms of
the GNU General Public License <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl.html>.
There is NO WARRANTY, to the extent permitted by law.

Written by Paul Rubin, David MacKenzie, Ian Lance Taylor, and Jim
Meyering.


address@hidden src]# ./tail -4 /etc/passwd     #WORKS FINE
colin:x:503:503::/home/colin:/bin/bash
patrick:x:504:504::/home/patrick:/bin/bash
judy:x:505:505::/home/judy:/bin/bash
joy:x:506:506::/home/joy:/bin/bash




address@hidden src]# ./tail -f /etc/passwd      # WORKS FINE
tomcat:x:53:53:Tomcat server:/var/lib/tomcat:/sbin/nologin
cyrus:x:76:12:Cyrus IMAP Server:/var/lib/imap:/bin/bash
exim:x:93:93::/var/spool/exim:/sbin/nologin
jkinz:x:500:500::/home/jkinz:/bin/bash
steve:x:501:501::/home/steve:/bin/bash
fred:x:502:502::/home/fred:/bin/bash
colin:x:503:503::/home/colin:/bin/bash
patrick:x:504:504::/home/patrick:/bin/bash
judy:x:505:505::/home/judy:/bin/bash
joy:x:506:506::/home/joy:/bin/bash


#BUT if you combine the two:


address@hidden src]# ./tail -4 -f /etc/passwd
./tail: invalid option -- 4
Try `./tail --help' for more information.



Its possible that I'm missing something here but I am able to produce
a slightly different bug on version 5.2.1 of tail as well:
#################################################
address@hidden root]# tail --version
tail (coreutils) 5.2.1
Written by Paul Rubin, David MacKenzie, Ian Lance Taylor, and Jim
Meyering.

Copyright (C) 2004 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This is free software; see the source for copying conditions.  There is
NO
warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE.

address@hidden root]# tail -4 -f /etc/passwd
tail: cannot open `-f' for reading: No such file or directory
==> /etc/passwd <==
colin:x:503:503::/home/colin:/bin/bash
patrick:x:504:504::/home/patrick:/bin/bash
judy:x:505:505::/home/judy:/bin/bash
joy:x:506:506::/home/joy:/bin/bash
address@hidden root]#
###################################################



The man page says nothing about this and the only thing the info page
says is that the "-4" type argument must be the first option.

So - is this a bug?



-- 
Jeff Kinz, Emergent Research, Hudson, MA.
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