strange behavour with combining -i with -n 1 for xargs

I tried the following which didn't work as expected:

% echo a b c | gxargs -n 1 -i echo before {} after
before a b c after

Without -i it uses the arguments by itself, but of course at the end

% echo a b c | gxargs -n 1 echo before {} after
before {} after a
before {} after b
before {} after c

Just -i does what I expect, but I needed them separate:

% echo a b c | gxargs -i echo before {} after
before a b c after

After playing a bit more I find that if the arguments are on lines by
itself it does work:

% /usr/bin/echo 'a\nb\nc' | gxargs -i -n 1 echo before {} after
before a after
before b after
before c after

Which if more complicated you can solve with xargs as well:

akoopal@asostats0-47% echo a b c | gxargs -n 1 | gxargs -n 1 -i echo before
{} after
before a after
before b after
before c after

This seems like a bug to me, can you investigate?

Regards,

André Koopal


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André Koopal
System engineer
Infrastructure Management & Security
Global Operations | Verizon Wireline Network

O +31 20 711 6990
[email protected]

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