Re: mksh import

[Adam Hoka <adam.hoka%gmail.com@localhost>]

On Tue, 4 Jan 2011 20:41:49 -0600
Dad - Kent - <pobox0123%hotmail.com@localhost> wrote:

> If I understand correctly, I believe someone has suggested that we replace 
> the
> existing /bin/sh in the base with a more fully featured shell such as ksh93 
> / mksh.
> I would second and support such a move. Unless someone can show that
> ksh93 / mksh would adversely affect the performance of the system in a 
> significant
> way then I can think of no reason why this should not be done.  By providing 
> ksh93 / mksh
> as /bin/sh in the base it provides a guarantee to developers that they are 
> able to take
> advantage of the most powerful and efficient features that a modern shell 
> has to offer.
> In doing so NetBSD will be a better system for it.
> 
> I would recommend that David Korn's ksh93 be used as the default shell in 
> the base.
> Mr Korn actively maintains and improves ksh93 and has done so for over 20 
> years.
> The latest version, ksh93t was recently released. Mr. Korn through his 
> involvement with
> the Austin / SUS group has gone to great lengths to ensure correct POSIX 
> behavior in
> ksh93.  Ksh93 has shown itself to be much more efficient than other shells. 
> And as
> someone has already mentioned, ksh93 is probably the closest thing to a 
> defacto
> shell as any other shell.
> 
> I understand that some people probably want mksh to be used in part because 
> it is licensed
> under the BSD license. I also would like to see all software released with 
> NetBSD under a
> BSD license (c'mon CLANG / LLVM!). But having said that, IMO mksh is not on 
> par with
> ksh93 in performance and it differs from ksh93 in features. At some point in 
> the future when
> mksh can show complete compatibility with ksh93 and achieve a close 
> approximation of
> performance then I would think it appropriate to use mksh as the default 
> shell in base.
> 
> Kent Wilson
>  
> 

ksh93 sucks for interactive use

-- 
NetBSD - Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability