* doc/autoconf.texi (Shellology): Some about /usr/xpg4/bin/sh on

Solaris.
Sort the entries.
Some words about POSIX vs Bourne shell.
From Russ Allbery and Robert Lipe.

diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 775383e868fd2516089af14cabfa8c7627efdde9..4d49ecf2e02b93b6756480741868905134a6e4c2 100644 (file)
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+2000-11-10  Akim Demaille  <akim@epita.fr>
+
+       * doc/autoconf.texi (Shellology): Some about /usr/xpg4/bin/sh on
+       Solaris.
+       Sort the entries.
+       Some words about POSIX vs Bourne shell.
+       From Russ Allbery and Robert Lipe.
+
 2000-11-10  Akim Demaille  <akim@epita.fr>
 
        * doc/autoconf.texi (Shell Substitutions): Split into...

diff --git a/THANKS b/THANKS
index daa80686b13225581127a8305999620e4587d743..77bc23258ef4d0a81ce9349b142d81f4cd2a1331 100644 (file)
--- a/THANKS
+++ b/THANKS
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ people:
 
 Aaron Crane            aaronc@pobox.com
 Aharon Robbins         arnold@gnu.org
-Akim Demaille          akim@epita.fr
+Akim Demaille          akim@freefriends.org
 Alain Knaff            Alain.Knaff@imag.fr
 Alec Wolman            wolman@cs.washington.edu
 Alexandre Oliva                oliva@lsd.ic.unicamp.br
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ Raja R Harinath             harinath@cs.umn.edu
 Ralf Corsepius         corsepiu@faw.uni-ulm.de
 Ralf S. Engelschall    rse@engelschall.com
 Richard Stallman       rms@gnu.org
+Robert Lipe            robertlipe@usa.net
 Robert S. Maier                rsm@math.arizona.edu
 Roland McGrath         roland@gnu.org
 Ruediger Kuhlmann      uck4@rz.uni-karlsruhe.de

diff --git a/doc/autoconf.texi b/doc/autoconf.texi
index 69d0665fa94c8e3174f69274346de296496908c0..cb3bc20ab34c867022651ab01849dd6fdeaa08ed 100644 (file)
--- a/doc/autoconf.texi
+++ b/doc/autoconf.texi
@@ -5002,22 +5002,6 @@ family.
 Below we describe some of the members of the Bourne shell family.
 
 @table @asis
-@item @command{bash}
-@cindex @command{bash}
-To detect whether you are running @command{bash}, test if
-@code{BASH_VERSION} is set.  To disable its extensions and require
-@sc{posix} compatibility, run @samp{set -o posix}. @xref{Bash POSIX
-Mode,, Bash @sc{posix} Mode, bash, The GNU Bash Reference Manual}, for
-details.
-
-@item @command{zsh}
-@cindex @command{zsh}
-To detect whether you are running @command{zsh}, test if
-@code{ZSH_VERSION} is set.  By default @command{zsh} is @emph{not}
-compatible with the Bourne shell: you have to run @samp{emulate sh} and
-set @code{NULLCMD} to @samp{:}. @xref{Compatibility,, Compatibility,
-zsh, The Z Shell Manual}, for details.
-
 @item @command{ash}
 @cindex @command{ash}
 @command{ash} is often used on @sc{gnu}/Linux and @sc{bsd} systems as a
@@ -5065,9 +5049,59 @@ from exiting:
 `exit 1` || echo "ash won't print it"
 @end example
 
+@item @command{bash}
+@cindex @command{bash}
+To detect whether you are running @command{bash}, test if
+@code{BASH_VERSION} is set.  To disable its extensions and require
+@sc{posix} compatibility, run @samp{set -o posix}. @xref{Bash POSIX
+Mode,, Bash @sc{posix} Mode, bash, The GNU Bash Reference Manual}, for
+details.
+
+@item @command{/usr/xpg4/bin/sh} on Solaris
+@cindex @command{/usr/xpg4/bin/sh} on Solaris
+The @sc{posix}-compliant Bourne shell on a Solaris system is
+@command{/usr/xpg4/bin/sh} and is part of an extra optional package.
+There is no extra charge for this package, but it is also not part of a
+minimal OS install and therefore some folks may not have it.
+
+@item @command{zsh}
+@cindex @command{zsh}
+To detect whether you are running @command{zsh}, test if
+@code{ZSH_VERSION} is set.  By default @command{zsh} is @emph{not}
+compatible with the Bourne shell: you have to run @samp{emulate sh} and
+set @code{NULLCMD} to @samp{:}. @xref{Compatibility,, Compatibility,
+zsh, The Z Shell Manual}, for details.
 @end itemize
 @end table
 
+The following discussion between Russ Allbery and Robert Lipe is worth
+reading:
+
+@noindent
+Russ Allbery:
+
+@quotation
+The @sc{gnu} assumption that @command{/bin/sh} is the one and only shell
+leads to a permanent deadlock.  Vendors don't want to break user's
+existant shell scripts, and there are some corner cases in the Bourne
+shell that are not completely compatible with a @sc{posix} shell.  Thus,
+vendors who have taken this route will @emph{never} (OK... ``never say
+never'') replace the Bourne shell (as @command{/bin/sh}) with a
+@sc{posix} shell.
+@end quotation
+
+@noindent
+Robert Lipe:
+
+@quotation
+This is exactly the problem.  While most (at least most System V's) do
+have a bourne shell that accepts shell functions most vendor
+@command{/bin/sh} programs are not the @sc{posix} shell.
+
+So while most modern systems do have a shell _somewhere_ that meets the
+@sc{posix} standard, the challenge is to find it.
+@end quotation
+
 
 @node Shell Substitutions, Assignments, Shellology, Portable Shell
 @subsection Shell Substitutions