From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Wed May 4 19:25:47 2005 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 3837F16A4CE for ; Wed, 4 May 2005 19:25:47 +0000 (GMT) Received: from gretel.pobox.com (gretel.pobox.com [208.58.1.197]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id CC7AB43D70 for ; Wed, 4 May 2005 19:25:46 +0000 (GMT) (envelope-from b.candler@pobox.com) Received: from orb.pobox.com (orb.pobox.com [207.8.226.5]) by gretel.pobox.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id AC27F761A68 for ; Wed, 4 May 2005 13:06:20 -0400 (EDT) Received: from orb (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by orb.pobox.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id D2178A01; Wed, 4 May 2005 13:05:43 -0400 (EDT) Received: from billdog.local.linnet.org (dsl-212-74-113-65.access.uk.tiscali.com [212.74.113.65]) (using TLSv1 with cipher DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits)) (No client certificate requested) by orb.sasl.smtp.pobox.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id 6C40F8C; Wed, 4 May 2005 13:05:41 -0400 (EDT) Received: from brian by billdog.local.linnet.org with local (Exim 4.43 (FreeBSD)) id 1DTNLV-0003wJ-Kh; Wed, 04 May 2005 18:07:37 +0100 Date: Wed, 4 May 2005 18:07:37 +0100 From: Brian Candler To: "Julian H. Stacey" Message-ID: <20050504170737.GA15091@uk.tiscali.com> References: <20050504150209.GA2516@uk.tiscali.com> <200505041646.j44GkKXw037042@fire.jhs.private> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <200505041646.j44GkKXw037042@fire.jhs.private> User-Agent: Mutt/1.4.2.1i cc: Bruce M Simpson cc: freebsd-current@freebsd.org Subject: Re: boot banner project X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussions about the use of FreeBSD-current List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Wed, 04 May 2005 19:25:47 -0000 On Wed, May 04, 2005 at 06:46:20PM +0200, Julian H. Stacey wrote: > > > FreeBSD-5.3 (with csh & tcsh) linked does completion without autolist set. > > > man csh: > > > If the autolist shell variable is set, the shell lists the remaining > > > choices (if any) whenever completion fails: > > > > Erm?? As you point out, it says "If the autolist shell variable is set" > > Tab completion is on by default: Works without needing to know to set autolist. I'm sorry, I think I understand now. We're talking at cross-purposes. Tab-completion is "on" in the sense that it works if only a single unique filename matches. It is "off" in the sense that if more than one filename matches, nothing happens except a terminal beep. The behaviour that many people miss from `bash` is that pressing tab in that circumstance pops up a list of matching filenames to choose from. You can then type the next character or two and hit tab again. That's what "set autolist" gives you. > > Why does root have /bin/csh as its shell? > > Probably because we have BSD inheritance, not AT&T Posix. OK, then why doesn't `pw useradd` create user accounts with csh as their shell as well, by default? Having two different defaults is just confusing. > Right or wrong, if it changed now, it'd cause suprise to existing users. Perhaps a little, but I don't think too much. If an old hack installs FreeBSD-6 and says "dammit, root has a POSIX shell rather than csh!" they know enough how to switch it. It shouldn't affect any scripts, because (a) nobody in their right mind writes shell scripts in csh (b) if they did, they should start with #!/bin/csh Yes, newcomers can switch too. But it's just another hurdle to jump through: "OK, after installation, you need to remember to run vipw or chsh to change root's shell to a sensible one. Why is it csh? For historical reasons." I don't think things necessarily have to stay as they are, just because that's how they've always been. You're right, csh was an innovation in its day. Most of its innovations have been picked up elsewhere. I humbly suggest it's now a legacy. Regards, Brian.