1003.2 Command Groups

[LOGNAME at ut-sally.UUCP]

In article <7111 at ut-sally.UUCP>, gwyn at brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn) writes:

> Perhaps you use UUCP, but I use DOD Internet protocols and
> don't wish to have UUCP forced on my environment.
> 
> Network standards are a whole nother ball game and do NOT
> belong in the POSIX standard.

This is exactly why we need "optional standards".  True, not
everyone wants UUCP or TCP, but it would help greatly if the
standards said something like: "You don't have to implement
the UUCP or TCP packages, but if you choose to do so, they
should behave as follows...."

[ There already are standards for the TCP/IP suite. -mod ]

For another example, we wouldn't expect everyone to support
the C-shell, but if they have something called "/bin/csh",
then it really should be a C-shell, and not some other sort
of program with an unrelated function.

[ That is probably within the scope of 1003.2.  It is not
within the scope of 1003.1, i.e., POSIX, nor are network
standards within the scope of either.  There is a /usr/group
Working Group on that subject, as reported in mod.std.unix
Volume 9, Number 49 Message-Id: <7091 at ut-sally.UUCP>:

/usr/group Working Group on Network Interface:
	Gil McGrath
	AT&T Information Systems
	(201)522-6182

-mod ]

Despite UUCP's problems, it is in fact a useful off-the-shelf
file-transfer package.  I'd like to see it part of a standard
package, though if "rcp" were available, I'd certainly use it
rather than "uucp".  Now, as for kermit....

[ Rcp is not part of the standard TCP/IP suite.  It may never be,
as many people hope it will vanish entirely in favor of distributed
file system standards.  See also

/usr/group Working Group on Distributed File System:
	Dave Buck
	D.L. Buck & Associates, Inc.
	6920 Santa Teresa Bldg, #108
	San Jose, CA 95119
	(408)972-2825

-mod ]

-- 
	John M Chambers			Phone: 617/364-2000x7304
Email: ...{adelie,bu-cs,harvax,inmet,mcsbos,mit-eddie,mot[bos]}!cdx39!{jc,news,root,usenet,uucp}
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Volume-Number: Volume 9, Number 54