
directory, but its design both informs the user that the directory is empty and
makes it possible for ls to be used in pipelines.
One Unix system administrator pointed out that system logs are a real
lifesaver for him. Without the extra output, he says, he would be unable to
solve some of the configuration problems he has seen. In cases where the extra
output is necessary for debugging purposes, it is easy enough to redirect just
the error information to a log file for later perusal.
Under Unix it is important that you say what you mean—nothing more,
nothing less.
7.6 Think parallel
There is an old joke in the computer world that goes something like