Subject: Re: ps(1) sysv silliness
To: None <tech-userlevel@netbsd.org>
From: ITOH Yasufumi <itohy@netbsd.org>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 06/08/2000 10:06:53
simonb@netbsd.org writes:

> I've got some relatively simple mods to ps(1) so that it uses SysV-type
> command-line argument parsing instead of the traditional BSD-style
> parsing if a certain environment variable is set (I chose PS_SYSV but
> Luke suggested that there might be a `global' "use-sysv-arguments"
> variable that other programs could recognise as well).

Using environment variable may cause problems.
It forces users using ps(1) in shell scripts to be aware of the variable,
and every existent script needs being rewritten so as not to be affected
by user settings.

I suggest either

 1. make it a separate program, such as
    /usr/bin/ps-sysv, /usr/5bin/ps, etc., or
 2. implement it using command-line option
    ex. "ps -A" for AT&T / "ps -B" for Berkeley.

Opinions?
-- 
ITOH, Yasufumi