Date: Wed, 21 Feb 2018 15:16:30 -0600 From: Eric van Gyzen <eric@vangyzen.net> To: mike@karels.net, arch@freebsd.org Subject: Re: ps output line length change Message-ID: <6fc846e5-5155-63f5-6931-ed83f5b86cbc@vangyzen.net> In-Reply-To: <201802170046.w1H0kvxN032252@mail.karels.net> References: <201802170046.w1H0kvxN032252@mail.karels.net>
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On 02/16/2018 18:46, Mike Karels wrote: > A couple of weeks ago, I sent email on the committers list proposing > reversion of r314685 changing the output line length for ps. In > particular, it uses unlimited line length if stdout is not a tty. > The previous code used the tty width if any of stdout, stderr, or > stdin was a tty. The change in r314685 has not been shipped in > any release yet. > > The responses to that email all agreed with reversion. However, there > has been some additional discussion in private email. Therefore, I > am sending this to arch@. > > My reasoning is this; > > 1. The output line length for the following commands should reasonably > be the same in an interactive session: ps, ps | more, ps | grep. > > 2. The previous behavior is the way things have worked since 1990, > as Conrad pointed out. As others pointed out, it has long been known > that -ww was required to get unlimited lines, e.g. in a script. I > don't see any significant justification to change 28 years of precedent. > > 3. The rationale for the change included that it is easier for scripts > (which I maintain are broken if they assume this), and that it doesn't > matter if using less with left-right scrolling. We shouldn't make > assumptions about what the output is going through, let alone assume > left-right scrolling. The previous algorithm was described as magic, > but I think it is straightforward. Perhaps a comment is in order. > > I tried to think of a compromise solution, but the only thing that > comes to mind is messy: an environment variable that would enable > unlimited line length when the output was not a tty. That would not > be easier for scripts. And as Bruce noted, aliasing ps to "ps -ww" > does not work with old BSD-stype "ps axu". > > What do people think should be done? I agree that the change should be reverted. Eric
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