Favorite operating systems query (UNIX vs VMS flaming!!!)

[rcb at rti-sel.UUCP]

>
>However, even at best DCL "diagnostics" can be ambiguous.  For example,
>
>$ SHOW USERS/BOGUS
>
>gets me the diagnostic
>
>%DCL-W-IVQUAL, unrecognized qualifier - check validity, spelling, and placement
> \BOGUS\
>
>Hardly pointing out the specific problem!  Better something like this (under
>System V):

Seems reasonable to me. "/bogus" is unknown at that place. Could be in wrong
place or spelled wrong.

>
>$ who -bogus
>who:  illegal option -- o
>Usage:	who [-rbtpludAasHTq] [am i] [utmp_like_file]
>
>r	run level
>b	boot time
>t	time changes
>p	processes other than getty or users
>l	login processes
>u	useful information
>d	dead processes
>A	accounting information
>a	all (rbtpludA options)
>s	short form of who (no time since last output or pid)
>H	print header
>T	status of tty (+ writable, - not writable, x exclusive open, ? hung)
>q	quick who

I have NEVER seen a unix error message like this! At best I have seen

$ who -bogus
who:  illegal option -- o

or

$ who -bogus
Usage:	who [-rbtpludAasHTq] [am i] [utmp_like_file]

Of which I prefer the first as it at least tells me what I did wrong.

-- 
					Random (Randy Buckland)
					Research Triangle Institute
					...!mcnc!rti-sel!rcb