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UGU: Unix Guru Universe - Unix Tip #4499- July  6, 2025
 -  Home : Help
 : Today's Tip
 Unix Tip #4499- July  6, 2025
 
GRABBING THE HIDDEN  
  
To easily select all  
hidden files, use the  
following:  
  
.[^.]*  ..?*  
  
For example,  
echo .[^.]* ..?*  
  
will output a list of  
all hidden files in your  
current directory.  
  
.[^.]*  selects all files  
starting with a dot but NOT  
having a dot as their  
second character.  
  
..?*    selects all files  
starting with two dots and  
having at least one additional  
character  
  
Together, they will retrieve  
ANY file starting with '.'  
except '.' and '..'  (even  
tricky ones like '...hideme')  
  
The ^ (caret) symbol can be  
used as the first character  
inside [ ] at any time to say  
"not one of the following"  
rather than the usual "any one  
of the following."  
  
[^0-9a-fA-F] will match any  
character that is NOT a hex  
digit.  
  
  
This tip generously supported by: wurzel@concentric.net  
  
  
 NOTE: All tips provided are USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Tips are submitted
by various unix admins around the globe. UGU suggest you read and
test each tip in a non-volitile environment before placing into
production.
  
LAST 5 TIPS
 4498
 - VI INDENTATION
 4497
 - TAR IS A ZIP
 4496
 - LINKS THAT POINT TO NOTHING
 4495
 - RECURSIVE CASE CHANGE
 4494
 - RENAMING UNPRINTABLE DIRECTORIES
 
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