how can i make xargs just to display the command it is going to run and actually run it. For the following command.

$ ls -1t | sed -n '1p' | xargs -I % scp % username@hostname:/tmp

I tried adding echo, while it works for simple commands, but it doesn't work for the above command.

$ ls -1t | sed -n '1p' | xargs echo -I % scp % username@ohostname:/tmp

-I % scp % username@hostname:/tmp filname

On 22/12/2016 20:06, sinbad wrote:
> how can i make xargs just to display the command it is going to run and actually run it. For the following command.
>
> $ ls -1t | sed -n '1p' | xargs -I % scp % username@hostname:/tmp
>
> I tried adding echo, while it works for simple commands, but it doesn't work for the above command.
>
> $ ls -1t | sed -n '1p' | xargs echo -I % scp % username@ohostname:/tmp
>
> -I % scp % username@hostname:/tmp filname
>
The "-I" is an option to xargs, not echo.

Try:
$ ls -1t | sed -n '1p' | xargs -I % echo scp % username@ohostname:/tmp

	Cheers,
		Gary	B-)

-- 
When men talk to their friends, they insult each other.
They don't really mean it.
When women talk to their friends, they compliment each other.
They don't mean it either.

"Gary R. Schmidt" <grschmidt@acm.org> writes:
> On 22/12/2016 20:06, sinbad wrote:
>> how can i make xargs just to display the command it is going to run and actually run it. For the following command.
>>
>> $ ls -1t | sed -n '1p' | xargs -I % scp % username@hostname:/tmp
>>
>> I tried adding echo, while it works for simple commands, but it doesn't work for the above command.
>>
>> $ ls -1t | sed -n '1p' | xargs echo -I % scp % username@ohostname:/tmp
>>
>> -I % scp % username@hostname:/tmp filname
>>
> The "-I" is an option to xargs, not echo.
>
> Try:
> $ ls -1t | sed -n '1p' | xargs -I % echo scp % username@ohostname:/tmp

This is the same as

ls -t | sed 'q' | xargs -I % echo scp % username@ohostname:/tmp

!

[SCNR]