# Another "explain this xkcd" request \[July 20\]

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-explain-this-xkcd-request-july-20/628824>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [July 20, 2012, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-explain-this-xkcd-request-july-20/628824 "2012-07-20T07:47:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\
**Post date:** [July 22, 2012, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-explain-this-xkcd-request-july-20/628824/41 "2012-07-22T02:54:51Z")

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> [@SCSimmons](#):
>
> Aliasing ls is easy, yes. It will definitely not return _that_ error message, no matter what you point the command to or how your directories are configured. [This post](http://forums.xkcd.com/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=87602#p3059170) in the XKCD forum thread hit all the high points, I believe.

Alias it to an echo statement.

> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> But I’ve been reading his strip for years and he’s never told a good prison guard joke yet.

How about [this one](http://xkcd.com/246/)?

-D/a

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