Subject: Re: status of usr.bin/grep
To: None <tech-userlevel@NetBSD.org>
From: Aleksey Cheusov <cheusov@tut.by>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 12/06/2006 21:40:12
 >> What is the status of BSD-licenced usr.bin/grep?
 >> Is it ready for use, POSIX/SUS compatible and stable or not?

> Does anybody know why GNU grep is used in NetBSD?
Nobody knows... Fine.

From TODO list:

> 2. Binary file detection needs to be better...
Its better to complete remove this stupid feature.
This feature is a kind of AI and will NEVER be smart enough.
As a programmer (grep is often used in shell script) I know better
whether my input is text or binary. If it binary, it's my problem.
For interactive usage it is always better to implement super-AI-grep as
a separate executable and make
'alias grep=super-AI-grep' individually JIMO.

> 6. Sort out any performance issues, e.g. 
>     i) this is slower than GNU grep;
If GNU regex is really faster than NetBSD's, make it a part
of NetBSD base system and link grep with it
until libc's regexec/regcomp is optimized.

-- 
Best regards, Aleksey Cheusov.