Unix Error Messages

From: Tom Thomassen

(% represents the csh, $ represents the bourne shell)
 
% "How poorly would you rate the Unix (so-called) user interface?
Unmatched ".
 
% rm congressional-ethics
rm: congressional-ethics nonexistent
 
% ar m God
ar: God does not exist
 
% [Where is Jimmy Hoffa?
Missing ].
 
% ^How did the sex change^ operation go?
Modifier failed.
 
% If I had a ( for every $ Congress spent, what would I have?
Too many ('s.
 
%make love
Make:  Don't know how to make love.  Stop.
 
% sleep with me
bad character
 
% got a light?
No match.
 
% man: why did you get a divorce?
man:: Too many arguments.
 
% ^What is saccharine?
Bad substitute.
 
% \(-
(-: Command not found.
 
% sh
 
$ PATH=pretending! /usr/ucb/which sense
no sense in pretending
 
$ drink <bottle; opener
bottle: cannot open
opener: not found
 
$ mkdir matter; cat >matter
matter: cannot create
 
 
Or, in a System V (att) universe:
 
$ cat "can of food"
cat: cannot open can of food

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