ls command - strange error - arg list too long

techmoris · #1 (**permalink**) 08-21-2009

I am running a shell script which has the following command

ls *.pdf | wc -l

error: arg list too long

Please post your thoughts on this..

peterro · #2 (**permalink**) 08-21-2009

Probably too many files in the directory for ls to handle. Try:

Code:

echo *.pdf | wc -w

techmoris · #3 (**permalink**) 08-21-2009

This worked...

---------- Post updated at 02:08 PM ---------- Previous update was at 02:03 PM ----------

ls *.pdf > pdflist.txt

1.pdf
2.pdf
3.pdf
--
--

I have hundreds of pdf's in a directory and I want them in a pdflist.txt having one pdf in one line..can you guide me on this/..

Leo Gutierrez · #4 (**permalink**) 08-21-2009

Code:

find -maxdepth 1 -name "*.pdf" -print

cfajohnson · #5 (**permalink**) 08-21-2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by techmoris

I am running a shell script which has the following command

ls *.pdf | wc -l

error: arg list too long

Please post your thoughts on this..

There's no need for ls, and because it's an external command, its line length is limited to the system's maximum; printf is (usually) a shell builtin, and its line length is therefore limited only by memory.

Code:
printf *.pdf | wc -l

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