Bug#48247: echo -n

[Raul Miller <moth@debian.org>]

Package: debian-policy
Version: 3.0.1.1
Severity: wishlist

I'm tired of defending the current situation where debian policy specifies
POSIX behavior for /bin/sh, but echo -n has widespread use in the Linux
community (including especially debian policy, the linux kernel source,
many debian scripts, etc.).  This echo -n mechanism is valid but not
required under POSIX, and rather than change the world I think it's
easier to change policy.

*** policy.sgml.orig	Sun Oct 24 23:38:33 1999
--- policy.sgml	Sun Oct 24 23:48:16 1999
***************
*** 2218,2224 ****
  	    
  	  <p>
  	    The standard shell interpreter `<tt>/bin/sh</tt>' may be a
! 	    symbolic link to any POSIX compatible shell. Thus, shell
  	    scripts specifying `<tt>/bin/sh</tt>' as interpreter may
  	    only use POSIX features. If a script requires non-POSIX
  	    features from the shell interpreter, the appropriate shell
--- 2218,2225 ----
  	    
  	  <p>
  	    The standard shell interpreter `<tt>/bin/sh</tt>' may be a
! 	    symbolic link to any POSIX compatible shell, if <tt>echo
! 	    -n</tt> does not generate a newline. Thus, shell
  	    scripts specifying `<tt>/bin/sh</tt>' as interpreter may
  	    only use POSIX features. If a script requires non-POSIX
  	    features from the shell interpreter, the appropriate shell



-- 
Raul