From owner-cvs-all Mon Oct 28 1:53:56 2002 Delivered-To: cvs-all@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id A259437B401; Mon, 28 Oct 2002 01:53:55 -0800 (PST) Received: from thuvia.demon.co.uk (thuvia.demon.co.uk [193.237.34.248]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E1EC643E88; Mon, 28 Oct 2002 01:53:53 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from mark@thuvia.demon.co.uk) Received: from dotar.thuvia.org (dotar.thuvia.org [10.0.0.4]) by phaidor.thuvia.org (8.12.3/8.12.3) with ESMTP id g9S9rpcF059167; Mon, 28 Oct 2002 09:53:52 GMT (envelope-from mark@thuvia.demon.co.uk) Received: from dotar.thuvia.org (localhost [IPv6:::1]) by dotar.thuvia.org (8.12.6/8.12.6) with ESMTP id g9S9rpH5059415; Mon, 28 Oct 2002 09:53:51 GMT (envelope-from mark@dotar.thuvia.org) Received: (from mark@localhost) by dotar.thuvia.org (8.12.6/8.12.6/Submit) id g9S9rpwZ059414; Mon, 28 Oct 2002 09:53:51 GMT Date: Mon, 28 Oct 2002 09:53:51 GMT From: Mark Valentine Message-Id: <200210280953.g9S9rpwZ059414@dotar.thuvia.org> In-Reply-To: X-Mailer: Mail User's Shell (7.2.6 beta(5) 10/07/98) To: wollman@freebsd.org (Garrett Wollman), cvs-committers@freebsd.org, cvs-all@freebsd.org Subject: Re: cvs commit: src/bin/expr expr.1 expr.y src/include unistd.h src/lib/libc/gen Makefile.inc check_utility_compat.3 check_utility_compat.c Sender: owner-cvs-all@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk List-ID: List-Archive: (Web Archive) List-Help: (List Instructions) List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG > From: wollman@freebsd.org (Garrett Wollman) > Date: Sun 27 Oct, 2002 > Subject: cvs commit: src/bin/expr expr.1 expr.y src/include unistd.h src/lib/libc/gen Makefile.inc check_utility_compat.3 check_utility_compat.c > Create a small library function, check_utility_compat(3), to determine > whether a named utility should behave in FreeBSD 4.x-compatible mode > or in a standard mode (default standard). The configuration is done > malloc(3)-style, with either an environment variable or a symlink. > > Update expr(1) to use this new interface. The /etc/compat-FreeBSD-4-util symlink feature of this function is too dangerous - it will break any scripts run anywhere on the system which expect the default behaviour. If it stays, please add a suitable warning to the manual page. My advice is don't use this feature unless you have complete understanding of its effect on every script on your system (i.e. "never"). Similar woe occurs if you set the _COMPAT_FreeBSD_4 environment variable globally, or even in your .profile. Cheers, Mark. -- Mark Valentine, Thuvia Labs "Tigers will do ANYTHING for a tuna fish sandwich." Mark Valentine uses "We're kind of stupid that way." *munch* *munch* and endorses FreeBSD -- To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe cvs-all" in the body of the message