Re: GNU/Linux stance by Richard Stallman

Brandon S. Allbery KF8NH (allbery@kf8nh.apk.net)
Sat, 27 Mar 1999 07:43:34 -0500

In message <E10QqdE-0007nW-00@g212.hadiko.de>, Olaf Titz writes:
+-----
| > Never mind /bin/false; the original /bin/true was an *empty file*.
|
| Wouldn't that depend on the shell to give a correct result?
| exec()ing an empty file should return ENOEXEC.
+--->8

Yes; but "true" and "false" were intended for use from shell scripts. And
exec[lv]p() fell back to the shell if the exec failed, so it even worked from
most programs. (I see glibc2 finally implements that fallback; [many
versions of] glibc1 didn't, which I considered a bug.)

It should also be remembered that "#!" didn't exist on those systems.

-- 
brandon s. allbery	[os/2][linux][solaris][japh]	 allbery@kf8nh.apk.net
system administrator	     [WAY too many hats]	   allbery@ece.cmu.edu
carnegie mellon / electrical and computer engineering			 KF8NH
     We are Linux. Resistance is an indication that you missed the point.


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