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Argument list too long for Sed command

 
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# 1  
Old 06-19-2011
Argument list too long for Sed command
Hi guys

Following command results in

Code:
 
sed -i 's/#/\\#/g' /home/test/sqlstents*

Code:
 
-bash: /bin/sed: Argument list too long

Please help me solve it.. is there any other way i can do this?.. thanks
# 2  
Old 06-19-2011
The xargs command deals nicely with long lists of files:

Code:
find /home/test/ -name "sqlstents*" | xargs  sed -i 's/#/\\#/g'

# 3  
Old 06-20-2011
Quote:
Originally Posted by agama
The xargs command deals nicely with long lists of files:

Code:
find /home/test/ -name "sqlstents*" | xargs  sed -i 's/#/\\#/g'

Even longer lists of files with the "-exec" switch of find:
Code:
find /home/test/ -name "sqlstents*" -exec sed -i 's/#/\\#/g'{} \;

# 4  
Old 06-20-2011
Quote:
Originally Posted by kalak
Even longer lists of files with the "-exec" switch of find:
Code:
find /home/test/ -name "sqlstents*" -exec sed -i 's/#/\\#/g'{} \;

The xargs version has no smaller limit than yours, why "longer"? Yours is also less efficient because it runs one instance of sed per file.

some versions of find can use '+' instead of ';' to cram in more arguments per program, though. And I think he'd have that since he has sed -i:

Code:
find /home/test/ -name "sqlstents*" -exec sed -i 's/#/\\#/g'{} '+'

# 5  
Old 06-20-2011
Quote:
Originally Posted by depakjan
Hi guys

Following command results in

Code:
 
sed -i 's/#/\\#/g' /home/test/sqlstents*

Code:
 
-bash: /bin/sed: Argument list too long

Please help me solve it.. is there any other way i can do this?.. thanks
maybe try to using meaningful filter..
for example determine your filters and test if has any argument problem..
Code:
find -name "sqlstents[a-zA-Z]*"

Code:
find -name "sqlstents_[c-f][0-9]*"

after than go
Code:
for i in "[a-zA-Z]*" "_[c-f][0-9]*"; do find -name "sqlstents${i}" -exec sed -i 's/#/\\#/g'{} '+'; done

regards
ygemici
 
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