UNIX for Dummies Questions & Answers

sorry about the title -

I have a directory where a file is showing with ls or ls -l but if I try to reference it - I get the message that it isn't there. It is as if the directory structure isn't matching the actual content.

Right now, I have two files of same name showing in the directory - one real, one this other situation - if I rename the real one - then any attempt to work with the other one is "file not found".
it happens to be in /var/adm/cron with the file queuedefs
-r--r--r-- 1 bin bin 51 Mar 26 2004 .proto
prw------- 1 root root 0 Jul 5 10:32 FIFO
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 187087 Jul 5 12:15 OLDlog
-r--r--r-- 1 root sys 18 Apr 25 16:13 at.allow.orig
-rw-rw-rw- 1 root sys 0 Apr 25 16:13 at.deny
-r--r--r-- 1 bin bin 18 Apr 25 16:10 cron.allow
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 2833 Jul 5 14:45 log
-rw-r--r-- 1 root sys 207 Apr 19 09:41 queuedefs
-rw-rw-r-- 1 root sys 207 May 2 10:00 queuedefs

How do I clean this up?

Lisa
HP-UX 11.23 i64

The first (very simple) thing I would try is to move one of the files:

Code:

mv que* tempfoo

Then, I would try to move the other one with wildcards:

Code:

mv qu* newfoo

or

Code:

mv *qu* newfoo

...and see what happens.

Maybe there are some hidden special chars in one of the filenames?

you guys are so smart.
that was it - some char I couldn't see I guess.
I mv the good one; rm *que* the bad one; and moved back the good one.
all OK now.

thanks again!

so what the "p" permission is for in:

Code:

prw------- 1 root root 0 Jul 5 10:32 FIFO

THX

P means that the file in question is a fifo. These were originally called "named pipes" and the p meant pipe.