RE: dired and `ls' flags

["Drew Adams" <drew.adams@oracle.com>]

> > I've pounded away in the dired section of the manual
> > but haven't uncovered the technique

Hm...

> > required to change what the buffer looks like.
> > I guess its some way of telling emacs to use different
> > `ls' flags....  How is that done?
> 
> dired-listing-switches is a variable defined in `dired.el'.
> Its value is "-al"

And that option is explained front-and-center in the Dired section of the manual
- see the first node, `Dired Enter'.

That same node also mentions that using a prefix arg with command `dired'
prompts you for the `'ls' switches to use:

 "If you use a numeric prefix argument with the `dired' command,
  you can specify the `ls' switches with the minibuffer before
  you enter the directory specification."

And if you check the command's doc string: `C-h k C-x d' (or `C-h f dired'), you
see the same thing explained:

 "Optional second argument SWITCHES specifies the `ls'
  options used.  (Interactively, use a prefix argument to be
  able to specify SWITCHES.)"