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SubjectRe: OFFTOPIC: e2fsprogs and +2Gb partitions
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root wrote:
>
>
> Linux is so popular due to the extremely portable GNU programs that were
> written before. The original idea was to create a full blown OS, but
> they wrote software that would run in a wide range of others operating
> systems that were Unix-like and have some support for POSIX/ANSI-C
> compliance. Now we have a full blown OS (Linux/GNU) and you're have the
> *very opposite idea*: "to hell with standards, I like Linux, I program
> for Linux." What if in the future I want (it is my right, remember?) to
> use the HURD as my kernel? Then all Linux-GPL programs would be of no
> use to me, unless someone take the pains of writing a
> Linux-compatibility module for the HURD (like in freebsd?).

Come on, a package like gcc/glibc can encourage people to use the
standard calls by tagging "depreciated" interfaces with a warning
message.

__DEPRECIATED llseek "llseek is depreciated. Please use lseek64."
__DEPRECIATED gets "fgets should be preferred over gets: "
"It knows about the buffer size".

Yes, working towards the standards is neccesary. Yes, trying to make
people write portable code is a good thing.

But changing interfaces like glibc has done (as the "upgrade" for libc
5), is unforgivable. Some known-good applications miscompiled, leading
to thrashed filesystems.

Red Hat certainly wants to ship stable, commercial-grade stuff. If the
people maintaining glibc want to force portability on people, then
this is certainly NOT the way about it. Theodore has had to put in an
extra special case in the e2fstools. There are now combinations of
common tool sources and libraries, that miscompile. That will haunt
everbody for a long time to come.


The kernel keeps on supporting old system calls for quite a while for
backward compatibility.

Roger.


--
Actor asks a collegue: "To what do you owe your success in acting?"
Answer: "Honesty. Once you've learned how to fake that, you've got it made."
-------- Custom Linux device drivers for sale! Call for a quote. ----------
Email: R.E.Wolff@BitWizard.nl || Tel: +31-15-2137555 || FAX: +31-15-2138217

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