From owner-freebsd-arch@FreeBSD.ORG  Sun Mar 28 00:08:41 2004
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-arch@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-arch@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125])
	by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP
	id A0F4616A4CE; Sun, 28 Mar 2004 00:08:41 -0800 (PST)
Received: from smtp1.adl2.internode.on.net (smtp1.adl2.internode.on.net
	[203.16.214.181])	by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP
	id 0B91943D39; Sun, 28 Mar 2004 00:08:41 -0800 (PST)
	(envelope-from smckay@internode.on.net)
Received: from dungeon.home (ppp190-27.lns1.bne1.internode.on.net
	[150.101.190.27])i2S88bwn067194;
	Sun, 28 Mar 2004 17:38:37 +0930 (CST)
Received: from dungeon.home (localhost [127.0.0.1])
	by dungeon.home (8.12.8p2/8.11.6) with ESMTP id i2S88aJ7016011;
	Sun, 28 Mar 2004 18:08:36 +1000 (EST)
	(envelope-from mckay)
Message-Id: <200403280808.i2S88aJ7016011@dungeon.home>
To: arch@freebsd.org
References: <p0602046abc879c5fe2f9@[128.113.24.47]>
	<20040325070120.GA67497@VARK.homeunix.com>
	<1a9c01c41359$b3da45e0$7890a8c0@dyndns.org>
	<p06020494bc8a5738af2f@[128.113.24.47]>
In-Reply-To: <p06020494bc8a5738af2f@[128.113.24.47]>
    from Garance A Drosihn at "Sat, 27 Mar 2004 00:13:45 +0000"
Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 18:08:36 +1000
From: Stephen McKay <smckay@internode.on.net>
cc: "Jacques A. Vidrine" <nectar@freebsd.org>
cc: Stephen McKay <smckay@internode.on.net>
cc: Garance A Drosihn <drosih@rpi.edu>
cc: Albert Cahalan <albert@users.sourceforge.net>
Subject: Re: posix ps (was Re: Adding `pgrep' and `pkill' to /usr/bin) 
X-BeenThere: freebsd-arch@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1
Precedence: list
List-Id: Discussion related to FreeBSD architecture
	<freebsd-arch.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-arch>,
	<mailto:freebsd-arch-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-arch>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-arch@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-arch-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-arch>,
	<mailto:freebsd-arch-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 28 Mar 2004 08:08:41 -0000

On Saturday, 27th March 2004, Garance A Drosihn wrote:

>>$ PERSONALITY=freebsd ps -?
>
>Secondly, I personally am not fond of commands which COMPLETELY
>change their behavior based on environment variables.  Different
>options, different formats, different rules.

Unifying ps on all Unices (including FreeBSD) is an excellent idea, and
I fully support this.

Using an environment variable (no matter what name is used) to switch
between radically different personalities is an appalling idea.  No script
can depend on the output of ps thereafter.

If multiple personalities is a desirable trait (and it's not clear that it
is) then command line switches and aliases are the correct mechanisms to
use.

Stephen.