From owner-freebsd-stable@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Jan 30 11:10:27 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A1E5816A4CF; Sun, 30 Jan 2005 11:10:27 +0000 (GMT) Received: from alogis.com (firewall2.alogis.com [62.8.223.1]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 67CED43D2F; Sun, 30 Jan 2005 11:10:26 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from hk@alogis.com) Received: from alogis.com (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by alogis.com (8.13.1/8.13.1) with ESMTP id j0UBAPhR031795; Sun, 30 Jan 2005 12:10:25 +0100 (CET) (envelope-from hk@alogis.com) Received: (from hk@localhost) by alogis.com (8.13.1/8.13.1/Submit) id j0UBAPFU031794; Sun, 30 Jan 2005 12:10:25 +0100 (CET) (envelope-from hk) Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 12:10:25 +0100 From: Holger Kipp To: Chuck Swiger Message-ID: <20050130111025.GB30800@intserv.int1.b.intern> References: <20050129202425.GA56998@heechee.tobez.org> <20050129220905.46ab86ae.lehmann@ans-netz.de> <41FBFDD9.7070605@mac.com> <20050130162753.D9021@a2.scoop.co.nz> <41FC67D8.2020609@mac.com> <20050130050110.GC1209@k7.mavetju> <41FCB779.7030902@mac.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <41FCB779.7030902@mac.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.1i cc: Edwin Groothuis cc: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org cc: perl@freebsd.org cc: freebsd-ports@freebsd.org Subject: Re: [HEADS UP] perl symlinks in /usr/bin will be gone X-BeenThere: freebsd-stable@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Production branch of FreeBSD source code List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 30 Jan 2005 11:10:27 -0000 On Sun, Jan 30, 2005 at 05:31:21AM -0500, Chuck Swiger wrote: > Edwin Groothuis wrote: > >On Sat, Jan 29, 2005 at 11:51:36PM -0500, Chuck Swiger wrote: > >>Andrew McNaughton wrote: > >>#!/usr/bin/env PERL5OPT='-w' perl > > > >"#!/usr/bin/perl -w" sounds much easier. > > Sure, assuming there actually was a perl in /usr/bin. I would not choose > to hardcode the path to perl when env is available to properly locate the > interpreter for #!-based scripts via the $PATH. a) we had perl at /usr/bin/perl => many scripts are using "#!/usr/bin/perl" b) we have a symlink now => many new scripts are using "#!/usr/bin/perl" c) many ISPs have even more users who assume "#!/usr/bin/perl" works. => removing a symlink to create lots_of_trouble(tm) is not the freebsd-ish way of live. this single symlink is needed. d) calling env and then perl increases load unneccessarily => don't do that. => if you like _YOUR_ scripts to work like that, it is fine with me ;-) e) comparing #!/usr/bin/env PERL5OPT='-w' perl with #!/usr/bin/perl -w => I'd vote for the simpler second one. > I don't want to revisit a discussion of whether Perl should be part of base. ok > I don't want the Perl port to change in a way that breaks existing scripts. fine, so we must keep the symlink in /usr/bin/ > I don't want perl scripts to assume that Perl is in /usr/bin, or > /usr/local/bin, or any other specific place. Your problem. Write your scripts accordingly and be happy. Talk with several thousand programmers who use perl and assume it is located at /usr/bin/perl and convince them to write their programs differently. Otherwise, this breaks POLA. See c) > I don't want to have perl symlinked between /usr/bin and /usr/local/bin. Fine, then _you_ can remove the symlink by hand on your systems every time. > I do want scripts to use a portable mechanism to invoke Perl regardless of > where the binary happens to be found, but if people are determined to do > otherwise, well, that's up to them. One solution for those people might be > to install the Perl port with a $PREFIX of /usr rather than /usr/local. Huh? It was removed from the base system, so it belongs to /usr/local. Get real. Removing the symlinks permanently is causing lots of trouble. Not removing them is fine with me and at least most other users. Regards, Holger Kipp