Why can't both Windows and Ubuntu recognize a filename with special characters?

KhodeNima

8/29/24, 2:50 AM

I was trying to append to a text file in bash in WSL (using the >> operator). Unfortunately since I'm a beginner instead of appending to a file, a new file was made with the >> 'text' as the filename, and it seems like both Windows (GUI) and Ubuntu (rm command) cannot delete the file while it's in the directory (it's shown even when using the dir command).

Windows GUI:
Windows error code:

Bash:

root@DESKTOP-IA030GJ:/# cd home
root@DESKTOP-IA030GJ:/home# dir
English_Class  Finished_Projects  Keeping.txt  Random_Password_Generator_Project  \\n\\n\ -----Changes\   onion_project  pythonwork
root@DESKTOP-IA030GJ:/home# ls --quoting-style=shell
 English_Class                      '\n\n -----Changes '
 Finished_Projects                   onion_project
 Keeping.txt                         pythonwork
 Random_Password_Generator_Project

1 + 4

command-line

bash

windows-subsystem-for-linux

muru

8/29/24, 2:57 AM

Edit your post to add the output of `ls --quoting-style=shell`, please.

KhodeNima

8/29/24, 3:01 AM

@muru Done , Thanks again for your time sir.

muru

8/29/24, 3:06 AM

There, now you know what the filename actually looks like. Try `rm` with that filename.

KhodeNima

8/29/24, 3:10 AM

@muru Problem Solved , Thanks for your time , Have a great day.

Score:6

Ubuntu

Thomas Ward

8/29/24, 3:09 AM

This filename contains special characters because of how you originally (accidentally) piped data around. Because of that we need to know the exact filename and use that in the rm command in quotes.

We know that your file is named exactly \n\n -----Changes . So let's use that. Do not remove the single quotes from this command or it won't work.

rm '\n\n -----Changes '

This should get rid of that file completely, without any subsequent issues.

Note that you could also have removed the file by using *Changes* as a pattern for removal, or add the -i flag with this as well to make it interactive to make sure the files you want to delete are in fact being deleted.

+ 1

KhodeNima

8/29/24, 3:10 AM

Thanks for your time sir, Problem solved .

Elon Musk

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EN: Why can't both Windows and Ubuntu recognize a filename with special characters?

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