Re: POSIX shell; bash ash pdksh & /bin/sh
Hi,
>>"Alex" == <aqy6633@acf5.nyu.edu> writes:
>> So if "essential" really means more than "will always be here, so don't
>> worry about dependencies", the policy manual should reflect that.
>>
>> As it stands, many packages have undeclared dependencies on bash. That
>> seems to match perfectly with the semantics of an "essential" package.
>> If it's working, why change it?
Alex> Because it is not justified technically.
But, historically, we have made Bash essential. There did seem
to be a technical reason when we did that, even if circumstances have
changed since.
Alex> I don't see why bash should be treated any diferently then,
Alex> say, tcsh.
Backwards compatibility? Because we have implied Bash is
always going to be present, and should not yank the rug out from
under peoples feet? Because no sufficiently good reason has ben given
to justify us breaking the promise?
Alex> What is really essential for the system is the
Alex> presence of /bin/sh. Since it looks like we shall have an
Alex> alternatives for /bin/sh link, I can easily imagine systems
Alex> which may not want to have bash at all.
All very true. I know systems that do not want Perl
either. However, the OS does impose some baggage, and our essential
package are the excess baggage.
Alex> Argument that many local scripts may use bash directly and
Alex> expect it to be present doesn't seem to work. I can write
Alex> scripts in python, or even java (just kidding:) and the only
Alex> thing I would have to do is install the interpreter I need, I
Alex> don't see problem with that.
If ever we made Python essential, and people started writing
/bin/python scripts; and if anyone made a move to brfeak peoples
system on a whim, or becuse "it would be nice"; I would object then,
too.
manoj
--
Before he became a hermit, Zarathud was a young Priest, and took
great delight in making fools of his opponents in front of his
followers. One day Zarathud took his students to a pleasant pasture
and there he confronted The Sacred Chao while She was contentedly
grazing. "Tell me, you dumb beast," demanded the Priest in his
commanding voice, "why don't you do something worthwhile? What is
your Purpose in Life, anyway?" Munching the tasty grass, The Sacred
Chao replied "MU". (The Chinese ideogram for NO-THING.) Upon hearing
this, absolutely nobody was enlightened. Primarily because nobody
understood Chinese. Camden Benares, "Zen Without Zen Masters"
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta@acm.org> <http://www.datasync.com/%7Esrivasta/>
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