Re: [libvirt] [PATCH] virsh: change wexitstatus order to allow compilation on mac osx

[Bruno Haible]

Hi Eric,

Replying to your mail from 2010-09-15:
> > Therefore, almost all correct programs
> > call WEXITSTATUS on a variable that is usually of type 'int'.
> 
> Taking that argument further: given that the target audience of gnulib 
> is people that are expecting basic POSIX conformance, you can argue that 
> all programs _that use gnulib_ will pass only int, and never 'union 
> wait', to WEXITSTATUS.

A nice argument ;-)

> I argue that there's _no_ need for gnulib to worry about old BSD
> compatibility, therefore, I respectfully disagree with your assertion
> that it would be hard to fix in the gnulib override of <sys/wait.h>.

I try to build gnulib overrides in such a way that the override has all
features of the system function, regardless whether this feature is required
by POSIX or not. (Except explicit misfeatures, of course.) Without this
principle, people could rightfully argue that gnulib is destroying features
that the system function has, and that gnulib is removing portability
problems on one side but adding problems on the other side.

Bruno