*BSD News Article 84102


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From: stanb@netcom.com (Stan Brown)
Subject: Re: Serious brain damage in /bin/sh for FreeBSD 2.1.5
Message-ID: <stanbE1t8L7.Cpu@netcom.com>
Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest)
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Date: Mon, 2 Dec 1996 23:43:55 GMT
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	As the original poster in this thread, I think I need to bring it back
	to the original problem.

	/bin/sh in FreeBSD 2.1.5 respects the $ENV variable. As a result of
	this anything run using this will attempt to source the file pointed to
	by this environment variable. Not all legal Posix constructs are
	supported in FreeBSD's /bin/sh. many system functions are performed by
	scripts that use #!/bin/sh notation.

	The result of this is that installing a $ENV file thaw works just fine
	in ksh, or pdksh, but contains functions that are not (yet)supported in
	/bin/sh, will result in these systems scripts, as a minimum putting out
	noise to stderr.

	Here is my 2 cents worth on this.

	While making /bin/sh just a Bourne compatible shell would fix this
	problem, it is probably a bad idea, and is certainly contrary to what is
	being done on commercial UNIX's. 

	The goal of making FreeBSD's /bin/sh Posix compliant is an admirable
	one. It however cannot be done overnight. Therefore an implementation
	strategy needs to be thought out. This strategy should have as it's
	prime goal, to avoid breaking currently working code.

	Adding additional Posix functionality to /bin/sh should not break any
	existing code, that I am aware of.

	Therefor, I would humbly suggest to the developers, that they
	implement Posix features into /bin/sh at whatever rate they are
	comfortable with.

	When /bin/sh is *fully* Posix compliant, then *and only then* should it
	respect the $ENV variable.

	IMHO this would result in maximum benefit, with minimum breaking of
	things that already work.

	Just my 2 cents worth.

-- 
Stan Brown     stanb@netcom.com                                    404-996-6955
Factory Automation Systems
Atlanta Ga.
-- 
Look, look, see Windows 95.  Buy, lemmings, buy!   
Pay no attention to that cliff ahead...            Henry Spencer
(c) 1996 Stan Brown.  Redistribution via the Microsoft Network is prohibited.