Package: fileutils Version: 3.12-4 Under a recent kernel, dd seems to produce spurious extra output *only* if stdout isn't redirected ...
$ echo 'This is a test.' | dd of=/tmp/testing bs=10k conv=sync 0+1 records in 1+0 records out $ wc /tmp/testing 1 5 10240 /tmp/testing $ dd if=/tmp/testing bs=10k count=1 This is a test. This is a test. 1+0 records in 1+0 records out $ dd if=/tmp/testing bs=10k count=1 | cat This is a test. 1+0 records in 1+0 records out $ uname -a Linux amasis 2.0.17 #2 Thu Sep 5 00:58:46 BST 1996 i586 $ On an older kernel (everything else the same): $ echo 'This is a test.' | dd of=/tmp/testing bs=10k conv=sync 0+1 records in 1+0 records out $ wc /tmp/testing 1 5 10240 /tmp/testing $ dd if=/tmp/testing bs=10k count=1 This is a test. 1+0 records in 1+0 records out $ dd if=/tmp/testing bs=10k count=1 | cat This is a test. 1+0 records in 1+0 records out $ uname -a Linux amasis 1.3.21 #4 Thu Jan 4 21:02:19 GMT 1996 i586 $ Very odd ... Nikhil. -- Nikhil Nair Trinity College, Cambridge, England Tel.: +44 1223 368353 Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [EMAIL PROTECTED]