Bug#2312: Silly message from diff about fifos

[Ian Jackson <ian@chiark.chu.cam.ac.uk>]

Bill Mitchell writes ("Re: Bug#2312: Silly message from diff about fifos"):
> I'm closing this bug report again.  The program is working as designed.
> In particular, the program considers it an error to do a diff operation
> on named pipes (fifos).  To me, this seems reasonable.

Have you read the Info documentation ?  Particularly, see
`(diff)Shortcomings' and from the menu there `(diff)Special Files'.

In fact, diff (the program) doesn't consider it an error, since it
gives a zero exit status.

> If you have a disagreement with the authors regarding this aspect of
> their design, please take it up with them.  The upstream bug report
> address is bug-gnu-utils@prep.ai.mit.edu.

The GNU people actually seem to agree with me that this is a bug
(shortcoming, whatever) in their program.

In fact, the `Special Files' node contains some suggestions for future
improvement that I agree would be very usefl.

If you prefer please reopen the bug and mark it forwarded.

Ian.