From owner-freebsd-arch Fri Dec 15 0:55:45 2000 From owner-freebsd-arch@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Dec 15 00:55:43 2000 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-arch@freebsd.org Received: from lists01.iafrica.com (lists01.iafrica.com [196.7.0.141]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D18F037B402 for ; Fri, 15 Dec 2000 00:55:36 -0800 (PST) Received: from nwl.fw.uunet.co.za ([196.31.2.162]) by lists01.iafrica.com with esmtp (Exim 3.12 #2) id 146qeK-0006ol-00; Fri, 15 Dec 2000 10:55:32 +0200 Received: (from nobody@localhost) by nwl.fw.uunet.co.za (8.8.8/8.6.9) id KAA09679; Fri, 15 Dec 2000 10:55:30 +0200 (SAST) Received: by nwl.fw.uunet.co.za via recvmail id 9461; Fri Dec 15 10:54:45 2000 Received: from sheldonh (helo=axl.fw.uunet.co.za) by axl.fw.uunet.co.za with local-esmtp (Exim 3.16 #1) id 146qdZ-000J3Y-00; Fri, 15 Dec 2000 10:54:45 +0200 From: Sheldon Hearn To: Marius Bendiksen Cc: Peter Pentchev , arch@freebsd.org Subject: Re: add -I ignoremask option to du(1) In-reply-to: Your message of "Fri, 15 Dec 2000 01:48:20 +0100." Date: Fri, 15 Dec 2000 10:54:45 +0200 Message-ID: <73255.976870485@axl.fw.uunet.co.za> Sender: owner-freebsd-arch@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG On Fri, 15 Dec 2000 01:48:20 +0100, Marius Bendiksen wrote: > > So the only question is whether we shrug and continue down this road, or > > limit ourselves to only those silly enhancements that we deem necessary > > for compatibility with other platforms. > > You are ignoring the option of standardizing all the utilities to do these > things through a shared library. First, let me make clear that I have read Peter's rebuttal and I can see where he's coming from. I don't like it, but I have no technical objections that I can level against his argument. So what I say now is in your response to your mail and is not an attempt to drag Peter's proposal down. Now... I'm not ignoring the option of using shared libraries for implementation of common functions. However, we're talking about user interface here, which has nothing to do with implementation. The point is that we're gradually brewing a toolbox of spanners with saw edges and hammers with screwdriver attachments. And you activate the screwdriver on your hammer differently from the way you activate it on your spirit level. Not to mention that FreeBSD's hammer screwdriver isn't activated the way ${some_other}NIX's hammer screwdriver is. :-) Unless the UNIX philosophy of "each tool does one job well" has changed, let's not flog this one too much. Let's just leave it at this: When considering extensions to existing utilities, make sure that you have good reason beyond an aversion to a few extra keystrokes or ignorance of other utilities. Ciao, Sheldon. To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-arch" in the body of the message