Rebanein linux you can use the evil bird emoticon (:>) to destroy files, eg `:> important_document.txt`
the bird will eat the file and leave it completely empty!
Leah 
@rebane2001 hmm I suppose thats because its writing nothing into the file but I dont understand the reason for the
Id assume it works without?
Im guessing
: (I mean yeah it does make the face but from a commands perspective I mean)Id assume it works without?
Im guessing
: is ignored or perhaps written into the file?
dakkar@ChaosKitsune https://www.gnu.org/software/bash/manual/bash.html#index-_003a
the colon is a shell command that does nothing
it's often used to perform expansions with side-effects, like:
: ${ARGUMENT:=default value}
: ${MUST_BE_SET:?error message}@rebane2001
Jose Andrade@dakkar @ChaosKitsune @rebane2001 also infinite cycles:
while :
do
<whatever>
Done
@jcpandrade ha! I tend to do
(yes, I know that involves a fork+exec, but if we cared about speed we wouldn't be writing shell)
@ChaosKitsune @rebane2001
while true because it reads better to me(yes, I know that involves a fork+exec, but if we cared about speed we wouldn't be writing shell)
@ChaosKitsune @rebane2001
always tired@dakkar @ChaosKitsune @rebane2001 @jcpandrade
I'd guess many shells execute true as built-in too.
@project1enigma oh, you're right (I hadn't noticed), bash has indeed
@ChaosKitsune @rebane2001 @jcpandrade
true and false as builtins!@ChaosKitsune @rebane2001 @jcpandrade