Variable: dired-use-ls-dired

dired-use-ls-dired is a customizable variable defined in dired.el.gz.

Value

unspecified

Documentation

Non-nil means Dired should pass the "--dired" option to "ls".

If nil, don't pass "--dired" to "ls". The special value of unspecified means to check whether insert-directory-program supports the "--dired" option, and save the result in this variable. This is performed the first time dired-insert-directory invokes insert-directory-program.

Note that if you set this option to nil, either through choice or because your "ls" program does not support "--dired", Dired will fail to parse some "unusual" file names, e.g. those with leading spaces. You might want to install ls from GNU Coreutils, which does support this option. Alternatively, you might want to use Emacs's own emulation of "ls", by using:
  (setq ls-lisp-use-insert-directory-program nil)
  (require 'ls-lisp)
This is used by default on MS Windows, which does not have an "ls" program. Note that ls-lisp does not support as many options as GNU ls, though. For more details, see Info node (emacs)ls in Lisp.

View in manual

Source Code

;; Defined in /usr/src/emacs/lisp/dired.el.gz
(defcustom dired-use-ls-dired 'unspecified
  "Non-nil means Dired should pass the \"--dired\" option to \"ls\".
If nil, don't pass \"--dired\" to \"ls\".
The special value of `unspecified' means to check whether
`insert-directory-program' supports the \"--dired\" option, and save
the result in this variable.
This is performed the first time `dired-insert-directory'
invokes `insert-directory-program'.

Note that if you set this option to nil, either through choice or
because your \"ls\" program does not support \"--dired\", Dired
will fail to parse some \"unusual\" file names, e.g. those with leading
spaces.  You might want to install ls from GNU Coreutils, which does
support this option.  Alternatively, you might want to use Emacs's
own emulation of \"ls\", by using:
  (setq ls-lisp-use-insert-directory-program nil)
  (require \\='ls-lisp)
This is used by default on MS Windows, which does not have an \"ls\" program.
Note that `ls-lisp' does not support as many options as GNU ls, though.
For more details, see Info node `(emacs)ls in Lisp'."
  :group 'dired
  :type '(choice (const :tag
                        "Use --dired only if `ls' supports it" unspecified)
                 (const :tag "Do not use --dired" nil)
                 (other :tag "Always use --dired" t)))