Re: ash/echo/POSIX/SUS

[Raul Miller <moth@debian.org>]

On Sat, Oct 30, 1999 at 12:47:22PM +1000, Herbert Xu wrote:
> POSIX allows the shell to implement -n. It certainly does not allow a
> compliant script to use it.

Debian policy doesn't require that scripts be posix compliant but does
require that /bin/sh be posix compliant.

You might think that since /bin/sh must be posix compliant that the
scripts must be compliant.  But you could only think that if you arrange
to ignore all the places where the policy already suggests echo -n

And, once we get beyond this issue [the false idea that policy claims
that scripts must be posix compliant], we can get to the rationale of
the posix standard -- which clearly indicates that support for echo -n
is to be left alone on existing systems.

-- 
Raul