Re: [PATCH] latest ash has broken 'echo' command
On Sat, Oct 23, 1999 at 02:11:11PM -0400, Raul Miller wrote:
>
> Here's my take on this issue:
>
> (1) POSIX.
>
> POSIX says you should use printf for new scripts but that echo
> has not been made obsolete because it's in such widespread use.
>
> (2) SUS.
>
> In general the linux community seems to treat SUS as advise
> rather than as a "must meet" standard.
>
> (3) ash.
>
> We have a large user base, some of whom have come to rely on
> the current behavior of ash.
You miss the point completely. The issue here is whether our #!/bin/sh
scripts should be POSIX compliant or not. If the answer is yes, the change
in ash will be OK once our scripts are fixed. If the answer is no, nobody
should use ash as /bin/sh because it won't be possible.
> In other words, ash should not have changed its behavior. The changed
> behavior doesn't solve any real problem but it does break working user
> systems. [Specifically, anyone who has set up ash as /bin/sh.]
I admit the change was not a good idea at this moment in time. What I will
do once potato is released is to include two copies of ash in the binary
package, one that has an echo with options, and one without options. This
will help us track down #!/bin/sh scripts that aren't POSIX compliant. Of
course, this is assuming that we actually want #!/bin/sh to be POSIX compliant.
--
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