GOTO Masanori <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes: > At Mon, 11 Aug 2003 10:15:22 -0700, > Zack Weinberg wrote: >> "Portable" shell scripts CANNOT use these POSIX.2001-mandated command >> line syntaxes; there are still operating systems in wide use that do >> not implement them. Thus, for instance, config.sub/config.guess will >> continue to use the old syntax for the foreseeable future, as will >> gcc's Makefiles. >> >> POSIX.2001's removal of the "obsolete" syntaxes is brain damaged and >> coreutils MUST NOT follow suit. I would encourage y'all to address >> this, not by backing down glibc's _POSIX2_VERSION number, but by >> patching coreutils to support the old syntaxes again - unconditionally >> and without warnings. And then beat the upstream maintainers of >> coreutils upside the head until they take said patch. Do the same for >> any other shell utility that has been infected with this brain damage. > > Seconded. Keeping old behavior is good rathan than dropping down > _POSIX2_VERSION value. Some program want to know API compatibility > using _POSIX2_VERSION. Dropping chmod user.grp behavior makes us > advocate users to use new behavior. > > BTW, I think it's good idea to transit newer behavior of standard > utilities during debian sid.
I am not sure I understand what you are saying in the second paragraph. But, as an upstream author trying my damndest to write portable shell scripts, I would ask that the old command line syntaxes of these tools be preserved - accept, don't complain - for at least another five years. Ten would be better. One hopes that that is longer than two Debian releases ;-) zw -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
