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--help should show version number and install location #114

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alexdima opened this issue Aug 9, 2022 · 0 comments · Fixed by #115
Closed

--help should show version number and install location #114

alexdima opened this issue Aug 9, 2022 · 0 comments · Fixed by #115
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@alexdima
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alexdima commented Aug 9, 2022

We currently distribute two competing commands named devcontainer:

  1. there is this one (i.e. @devcontainer/cli)
  2. there is the one shipped with the Remote Containers extension since around 1 year

We have heard through numerous feedback channels (e.g. #108) that when executing devcontainer on the command line oftentimes the wrong one is picked up (possibly due to previous actions users have taken or due to how the PATH env variable is set up).

Normally, when running a command with --help, it is atypical to present version or install location information, but I have found a few which do so, e.g:

npm --help
npm <command>

Usage:

npm install        install all the dependencies in your project
npm install <foo>  add the <foo> dependency to your project
npm test           run this project's tests
npm run <foo>      run the script named <foo>
npm <command> -h   quick help on <command>
npm -l             display usage info for all commands
npm help <term>    search for help on <term>
npm help npm       more involved overview

All commands:

    access, adduser, audit, bin, bugs, cache, ci, completion,
    config, dedupe, deprecate, diff, dist-tag, docs, doctor,
    edit, exec, explain, explore, find-dupes, fund, get, help,
    hook, init, install, install-ci-test, install-test, link,
    ll, login, logout, ls, org, outdated, owner, pack, ping,
    pkg, prefix, profile, prune, publish, rebuild, repo,
    restart, root, run-script, search, set, set-script,
    shrinkwrap, star, stars, start, stop, team, test, token,
    uninstall, unpublish, unstar, update, version, view, whoami

Specify configs in the ini-formatted file:
    /Users/alex/.npmrc
or on the command line via: npm <command> --key=value

More configuration info: npm help config
Configuration fields: npm help 7 config

[email protected] /usr/local/lib/node_modules/npm
vim --help
VIM - Vi IMproved 8.2 (2019 Dec 12, compiled Jun 17 2022 21:26:11)

Usage: vim [arguments] [file ..]       edit specified file(s)
   or: vim [arguments] -               read text from stdin
   or: vim [arguments] -t tag          edit file where tag is defined
   or: vim [arguments] -q [errorfile]  edit file with first error

Arguments:
   --			Only file names after this
   -v			Vi mode (like "vi")
   -e			Ex mode (like "ex")
   -E			Improved Ex mode
   -s			Silent (batch) mode (only for "ex")
   -d			Diff mode (like "vimdiff")
   -y			Easy mode (like "evim", modeless)
   -R			Readonly mode (like "view")
   -Z			Restricted mode (like "rvim")
   -m			Modifications (writing files) not allowed
   -M			Modifications in text not allowed
   -b			Binary mode
   -l			Lisp mode
   -C			Compatible with Vi: 'compatible'
   -N			Not fully Vi compatible: 'nocompatible'
   -V[N][fname]		Be verbose [level N] [log messages to fname]
   -D			Debugging mode
   -n			No swap file, use memory only
   -r			List swap files and exit
   -r (with file name)	Recover crashed session
   -L			Same as -r
   -T <terminal>	Set terminal type to <terminal>
   --not-a-term		Skip warning for input/output not being a terminal
   --ttyfail		Exit if input or output is not a terminal
   -u <vimrc>		Use <vimrc> instead of any .vimrc
   --noplugin		Don't load plugin scripts
   -p[N]		Open N tab pages (default: one for each file)
   -o[N]		Open N windows (default: one for each file)
   -O[N]		Like -o but split vertically
   +			Start at end of file
   +<lnum>		Start at line <lnum>
   --cmd <command>	Execute <command> before loading any vimrc file
   -c <command>		Execute <command> after loading the first file
   -S <session>		Source file <session> after loading the first file
   -s <scriptin>	Read Normal mode commands from file <scriptin>
   -w <scriptout>	Append all typed commands to file <scriptout>
   -W <scriptout>	Write all typed commands to file <scriptout>
   -x			Edit encrypted files
   --startuptime <file>	Write startup timing messages to <file>
   --log <file>	Start logging to <file> early
   -i <viminfo>		Use <viminfo> instead of .viminfo
   --clean		'nocompatible', Vim defaults, no plugins, no viminfo
   -h  or  --help	Print Help (this message) and exit
   --version		Print version information and exit
tar --help
tar(bsdtar): manipulate archive files
First option must be a mode specifier:
  -c Create  -r Add/Replace  -t List  -u Update  -x Extract
Common Options:
  -b #  Use # 512-byte records per I/O block
  -f <filename>  Location of archive
  -v    Verbose
  -w    Interactive
Create: tar -c [options] [<file> | <dir> | @<archive> | -C <dir> ]
  <file>, <dir>  add these items to archive
  -z, -j, -J, --lzma  Compress archive with gzip/bzip2/xz/lzma
  --format {ustar|pax|cpio|shar}  Select archive format
  --exclude <pattern>  Skip files that match pattern
  -C <dir>  Change to <dir> before processing remaining files
  @<archive>  Add entries from <archive> to output
List: tar -t [options] [<patterns>]
  <patterns>  If specified, list only entries that match
Extract: tar -x [options] [<patterns>]
  <patterns>  If specified, extract only entries that match
  -k    Keep (don't overwrite) existing files
  -m    Don't restore modification times
  -O    Write entries to stdout, don't restore to disk
  -p    Restore permissions (including ACLs, owner, file flags)
bsdtar 3.5.1 - libarchive 3.5.1 zlib/1.2.11 liblzma/5.0.5 bz2lib/1.0.8

In an attempt to reduce confusion, I suggest that we print the version information and install location at the end of devcontainer --help

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