[Bug 1009045] [NEW] md5sum 'backslash-in-filename' feature is not documented in man page

[Barton Chittenden]

Public bug reported:

Encountered in

    Description : Ubuntu 10.04.4 LTS
    Release     : 10.04

using

     md5sum (GNU coreutils) 7.4

$ apt-cache policy coreutils
coreutils:
  Installed: 7.4-2ubuntu3
  Candidate: 7.4-2ubuntu3
  Version table:
 *** 7.4-2ubuntu3 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/main Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
     7.4-2ubuntu2 0
        500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main Packages

Related to
https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/coreutils/+bug/53584

The following information is in "info coreutils 'md5sum invocation'"

   For each FILE, `md5sum' outputs the MD5 checksum, a flag indicating
a binary or text input file, and the file name.  If FILE contains a
backslash or newline, the line is started with a backslash, and each
problematic character in the file name is escaped with a backslash,
making the output unambiguous even in the presence of arbitrary file
names.  If FILE is omitted or specified as `-', standard input is read.

The corresponding section in the man page reads as follows:

       The  sums are computed as described in RFC 1321.  When checking, the input should be a former output of this
       program.  The default mode is to print a line with checksum, a character indicating type (`*' for binary,  `
       ' for text), and name for each FILE.

The documentation of the behaviour of md5sum when given filenames
containing backslashes is missing from the man page, and was unexpected
behaviour when I first encountered it.

** Affects: coreutils (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1009045

Title:
  md5sum 'backslash-in-filename' feature is not documented in man page

Status in “coreutils” package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  Encountered in

      Description : Ubuntu 10.04.4 LTS
      Release     : 10.04

  using

       md5sum (GNU coreutils) 7.4

  $ apt-cache policy coreutils
  coreutils:
    Installed: 7.4-2ubuntu3
    Candidate: 7.4-2ubuntu3
    Version table:
   *** 7.4-2ubuntu3 0
          500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid-updates/main Packages
          100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
       7.4-2ubuntu2 0
          500 http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ lucid/main Packages

  Related to
  https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/coreutils/+bug/53584

  The following information is in "info coreutils 'md5sum invocation'"

     For each FILE, `md5sum' outputs the MD5 checksum, a flag indicating
  a binary or text input file, and the file name.  If FILE contains a
  backslash or newline, the line is started with a backslash, and each
  problematic character in the file name is escaped with a backslash,
  making the output unambiguous even in the presence of arbitrary file
  names.  If FILE is omitted or specified as `-', standard input is read.

  The corresponding section in the man page reads as follows:

         The  sums are computed as described in RFC 1321.  When checking, the input should be a former output of this
         program.  The default mode is to print a line with checksum, a character indicating type (`*' for binary,  `
         ' for text), and name for each FILE.

  The documentation of the behaviour of md5sum when given filenames
  containing backslashes is missing from the man page, and was
  unexpected behaviour when I first encountered it.

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