Re: ash/echo/POSIX/SUS
On Mon, Oct 25, 1999 at 10:18:23AM -0500, Manoj Srivastava wrote:
>
> Herbert> * I released a version of ash with echo that was SUS
> Herbert> compliant (this is also POSIX compliant). This was
> Herbert> foolish because we're less than 2 weeks away from the
> Herbert> freeze and that we've got a huge number of scripts that
> Herbert> aren't POSIX compliant in this respect.
>
> Is it your contention that an echo that accepts -n is
> violating POSIX? Can you quote, chapter and verse, please?
When did I say that? I was talking about POSIX compliant scripts.
Since the behaviour of echo when -n is the operand is implementation defined,
POSIX compliant scripts must not use it.
> Herbert> * For the release after potato, we need to make a decision
> Herbert> on whether to change the policy to not requrie POSIX
> Herbert> compliance on #!/bin/sh scripts or actually enforcing it.
>
> I think some (not so) common sense should also be applied. If
> the long standing behaviour is allowed as implementatgion defined by
> POSIX, I think we should continue the behaviour since
> a) it does not violate POSIX
> b) It shall not break a gazillion scripts.
We are talking about scripts and our policy. Currently those scripts violate
the policy. So one of them must be changed.
> Where does policy say that optional and implementation defined
> nuances of POSIX programs are to be deprecaed?
Here's what our policy currently says:
any POSIX compatible shell. Thus, shell scripts specifying ``/bin/sh''
as interpreter may only use POSIX features. If a script requires
> Herbert> So let us stop wasting time and concentrate on the release.
>
> If the old behaviour is continued, even less time shall be
> wasted.
I don't think so. Having an inconsistency of this magnitude between the
policy and reality is a really big worry to me.
--
Debian GNU/Linux 2.1 is out! ( http://www.debian.org/ )
Email: Herbert Xu ~{PmV>HI~} <herbert@gondor.apana.org.au>
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