Subject: Re: sysv ps(1) implementation [was: ps(1) sysv silliness]
To: Klaus Klein <kleink@uni-trier.de>
From: Greywolf <greywolf@starwolf.com>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 06/10/2000 00:11:14
On 10 Jun 2000, Klaus Klein wrote:

# Date: 10 Jun 2000 06:48:13 +0200
# From: Klaus Klein <kleink@uni-trier.de>
# To: tech-userlevel@netbsd.org
# Subject: Re: sysv ps(1) implementation [was: ps(1) sysv silliness]
# 
# 
# While it's always nice to see a discussion about this, let me toss in
# a piece of information:
# 
# IEEE Std. 1003-200x (the next revision of POSIX) will have a System V
# influenced ps command in its XSI open group, so it'll make sense to
# consider the implications for a moment. With the acceptance of that
# standard in the forseeable future it might make sense to make an
# implementation of this the 'default' utility, moving the existing
# version into a non-default path; something like a /usr/ucb/ comes to
# mind...  It's also worth noting that the echo utility will need a
# similar treatment.

AAAGGGGHHH!  No!  Separate out the SysV stuff, I mean, isn't this
Net*BSD*?  Sorry to put it like that, and I know it seems knee-jerk,
but I didn't think that ditching our roots so completely was in the
offing.

# About supporting both BSD and System V style options in a single
# executable: please take into consideration that there are at least
# three command line options (-e, -p, -u) whose use differs between
# 'our' BSD implementation and System V.

1)  You mean _the_ BSD implementation.

2)  System V is System V and should be treated as such.

3)  How does our version of -p differ from SysV -p?  They both mean
	'reference the pid'.

4)  If we MUST have sysV be the default, I'd still prefer the same stuff
	in one executable, with "-B" to mean BSD style.  Otherwise, relegate
	it to /usr/xpg4 (as has been suggested) and keep /bin/ps the same.

5)  POSIX is NOT the be-all end-all for our existence, is it?

# -klaus



				--*greywolf;
--
BSD: true inheritors of the UNIX(tm) legacy.