Date: Thu, 29 Jul 1999 18:00:03 -0700 (PDT) From: Sheldon Hearn <sheldonh@uunet.co.za> To: freebsd-doc@freebsd.org Subject: Re: bin/12767: Expand /etc/ttys manpage Message-ID: <199907300100.SAA94250@freefall.freebsd.org>
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The following reply was made to PR bin/12767; it has been noted by GNATS.
From: Sheldon Hearn <sheldonh@uunet.co.za>
To: Peter Jeremy <jeremyp@gsmx07.alcatel.com.au>
Cc: FreeBSD-gnats-submit@FreeBSD.ORG
Subject: Re: bin/12767: Expand /etc/ttys manpage
Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 02:53:10 +0200
On Fri, 30 Jul 1999 10:39:53 +1000, Peter Jeremy wrote:
> 1) Within a single field (which comprises multiple words enclosed in
> double quotes), command arguments can contain multiple words by
> enclosing the argument in single quotes.
This is a pretty standard UNIX thing, yeah.
> I don't read this as any reference to the way that words
> within a single quoted field are parsed before being passed to
> exec().
You're right, the manpage doesn't explicitly spell out how the command
is executed. Imagine, though, how annoying it would be if every manpage
that uses a user-specified command for execution spelled out how the
exec() family works.
I'm happy with believing that "foo bar" means run program foo with
argument bar.
> 2) There's no command line expansion or substitution.
> Reasoned reflection would suggest that this is the behaviour, but
> explicitly documenting it can only improve clarity (IMHO).
The documentation doesn't say that the command is passed to a shell, so
the lack of expansion and substitution should be self-evident.
> This wording implies (to me, anyway), that the field _must_ refer
> to a terminal special file in /dev - this makes it unclear what to
> put here when the entry is starting a daemon that isn't related to
> a terminal at all.
I wouldn't want to encourage people to launch daemons which aren't
associated with a terminal from /etc/ttys -- I'd prefer them to launch
their daemons from ${LOCABASE}/etc/rc.d, rc.local etc.
> >Permission to close PR, or would you like a second opinion? :-)
> If the above arguments don't sway you, I'd like a second opinion.
Sure thing. You've dealt with me before, so you know I'm not one to piss
on your ideas without giving someone else the opportunity to do the
same. :-)
I'll leave the PR open for independant review as I do with others where
the originator disagrees with me. If someone else likes your idea, it
won't be the first time that the originator was right and I was wrong.
;-)
Later,
Sheldon.
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