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• Quote filenames with whitespace in them, as in cat "my file.txt"
• Or escape whitespace (prefix it with a backslash), as in cat my\ file.txt
• Or use file globbing (which could match multiple files), as in cat my*.txt

xenopeek wrote: ⤴Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:35 am Sourceforge won't proceed with download so can't check what exactly the book said, but flat out saying you shouldn't use whitespace in filenames is weird. It's fine.

On the terminal you just have to remember to:

• Quote filenames with whitespace in them, as in cat "my file.txt"
• Or escape whitespace (prefix it with a backslash), as in cat my\ file.txt
• Or use file globbing (which could match multiple files), as in cat my*.txt

Pressing Tab key on the terminal after typing a partial filename will auto-complete the name and add escapes for whitespaces where needed. I'd guess most use that.

HaveaMint wrote: ⤴Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:47 am "I don't see any white spaces"

$ touch "'Quote*\'this'"
$ ls
''\''Quote*\'\''this'\'''

xenopeek wrote: ⤴Thu Nov 01, 2018 9:35 am Sourceforge won't proceed with download

carum carvi wrote: ⤴Thu Nov 01, 2018 6:41 am ......
I finally have overcome my fear of the terminal.
.....
My first lesson with the Linux Command Line PDF was a warning NOT to use spaces in filenames. That is a habit I had copied from Windows. I now understand why it is better not to use spaces. It may seem like a little thing, but knowledge of many little things like these, surely make managing LinuxMInt even more easier.

aes2011 wrote: ⤴Thu Nov 01, 2018 10:01 am While it's true that files with spaces in their names can be dealt with, I prefer to avoid spaces in files I create.

I like this oldish link on filenames: http://pclosmag.com/html/Issues/201607/page03.html

carum carvi wrote: ⤴Thu Nov 01, 2018 6:41 amMy first lesson with the Linux Command Line PDF was a warning NOT to use spaces in filenames.

carum carvi wrote: ⤴Fri Nov 02, 2018 5:16 amBut do these solutions (to still easily use spaces in linux files) still work when these Linux files have to be read by Windows or Apple?

carum carvi wrote: ⤴Thu Nov 01, 2018 6:41 am My first lesson with the Linux Command Line PDF was a warning NOT to use spaces in filenames.

4.Though Linux supports long filenames which may contain embedded spaces
and punctuation characters, limit the punctuation characters in the names of
files you create to period, dash, and underscore. Most importantly, do not em-
bed spaces in filenames. If you want to represent spaces between words in a
filename, use underscore characters. You will thank yourself later.

lsemmens wrote: ⤴Fri Nov 02, 2018 8:26 am I "grew up" with 8.3 filenames. When Long filenames were introduced in Windwoes way back when I did embrace it, however, I did not use a long filename to write "War and Peace". I will generally store files in folders related to the topic at hand. Even if that folder only contains one or two files. e.g. 2010Reconciliation contains all files related to that process. I do the same with all my music, Firstly grouped by music genre then by artist, then a subfolder of album. Much neater than RockPinkFloydTheWallTheWall . Isn't /Rock/PinkFloyd/TheWall/TheWall much neater?

Portreve wrote: ⤴Sat Nov 03, 2018 7:45 am I don't really think much of the mindset or mentality which promotes the idea of sticking with tradition or habit or "what you know" over thinking for oneself, and honestly I have little use for those persons who function in that way, whether in the technology world or elsewhere.

There are certain specialized places and situations where one should not use spaces; however, generally, spaces are appropriate and make things, as has been alluded to above, much more human friendly. Can you imagine trying to read a newspaper where they didn't use spaces?

I use the terminal from time to time to accomplish certain specific tasks, but I operate on the desktop, so why spaces should be a problem, as far as I'm concerned, is normally just people preferring dogma over having to use their brain and think about what's actually appropriate for the situation.

Just my 2¢.