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Re: GNU Fileutils and GNU/Hurd extentions.
From: |
Jim Meyering |
Subject: |
Re: GNU Fileutils and GNU/Hurd extentions. |
Date: |
Tue, 12 Mar 2002 12:07:31 +0100 |
User-agent: |
Gnus/5.090006 (Oort Gnus v0.06) Emacs/21.2.50 (i686-pc-linux-gnu) |
Hi Alfred,
Thanks for helping with GNU.
Please send future suggestions about the fileutils to the
mailing list, address@hidden
http://mail.gnu.org/pipermail/bug-fileutils/
If you're interested in discussion (and with new feature addition
that's always a good idea), you'll find a wider audience at
address@hidden
address@hidden (Alfred M. Szmidt) wrote:
> I'm currently working on adding some GNU/Hurd extensions to the
> FIleutils package (unknown user bit, author flag, etc), and have a few
> questions.
>
> What is the correct way to define that the target system is running GNU?
Do you mean `detect' rather than `define'?
Usually the compiler defines symbols that tell what
type of system it's compiling for.
If you mean `detect', then please reconsider your approach.
Instead, please look into using autoconf-style feature tests
that detect the precise function/interface/semantics/functionality
that you want to use. Then write an autoconf macro that sets
HAVE_SOME_FEATURE appropriately and make the code test that macro.
> I first thought of using __GNU__, but decided that I was unsure that this
> was the correct way of doing it.
>
> And is there any legal paper work that I should be concerned about?
Yes. If you make substantial changes that end up being incorporated,
you'll have to have signed/snailed copyright papers to the FSF.
> Here is an small example on how `ls' will work on GNU (/dev/null being an
> passive translator and /dev/active (fictions translator) being an active one):
> $ ls -l /dev/null /dev/active
> crw-rw-rw-rw- 1 root mhp 0, 0 Jan 25 20:56 /dev/null =>
> /hurd/null (17)
> crw-r--r--r-- 1 ams ams 0, 0 Mar 8 14:38 /dev/active =>
> unknown (760)
This behavior should not be the default.
Many programs parse the output of `ls -l', and wouldn't be able
to handle such a change.
> And the --author/-E switch to show the author flag of the file:
> $ ls -lE /dev/null
> crw-rw-rw-rw- 1 root mhp mhp 0, 0 Jan 25 20:56 /dev/null
> => /hurd/null (17)
>
> Also, I change chmod to support the unknown user permission bits, and plan to
> introduce a new utility called chauthor (to change the author field).
>
> --
> Alfred M. Szmidt
- Re: GNU Fileutils and GNU/Hurd extentions.,
Jim Meyering <=