Re: Getting wide ``dpkg -l'' output in scripts and pipes.
On Tuesday 18 May 2004 14:50, Colin Watson wrote:
> Those both set the COLUMNS shell variable but fail to export it to the
> dpkg subprocess (you need an explicit 'export' to do that).
> 'COLUMNS=200 dpkg -l' is a special syntax that adds the variable to
> the environment of the dpkg subprocess without affecting the shell in
> which it is executed.
I wasn't aware of that special syntax so it had not occurred to me to
try it -- it looked like a "run-on" of two commands that ought to have
something between them.
Very useful in general -- thanks!
-- Adam
Reply to: