Could we use gunzip -c instead of zcat?

[Yves Arrouye <arrouye@marin.fdn.fr>]

Hello,

I'd like to suggest that scripts, debian.rules etc... use gunzip -c instead
of zcat when the intent is to get the contents of a gzipped file on stdout.
This is because if binaries from a BSD compress package (not necessarily
built with compress-package) will make a true zcat available on the system,
which of course cannot handle gzipped files.
  IMO, zcat means `cat a compressed (.Z) file', because that's what it
does for years. The fact that /bin/zcat on Debian systems also handle
gzipped files is a convenience for the user, but in no case guarantee
scripts that the first available zcat in $PATH will be able to do so
(and again zcat is not the best name for such a command due to historic
heritage).

Is this something unreasonable to ask?

Yves.