YES(1)

NAME

yes — continually output arguments

yes [string]…

Repeatedly writes each string (default "y"), separated by a single space (" "), followed by a newline, to the standard output.

1 and a diagnostic is issued if a write error occurred. Does not exit normally.

Appeared, fully formed, in 4BSD as "be repetitively affirmative":

yes [ expletive ]

And is described in the changelog as "A new command, which is excessively obsequious.".

An equivalent implementation appears in AT&T System V Release 4 UNIX.

Multiple strings are an extension, originating from the GNU system.

The GNU system ignores the first -- string, regardless of position.