Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ncoast.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!hao!hplabs!sdcrdcf!sdcsvax!dcdwest!ittvax!decvax!cwruecmp!atvax!ncoast!bsa From: bsa@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon Allbery) Newsgroups: net.unix-wizards Subject: Re: Re: 4.2bsd eof flag in stdio Message-ID: <471@ncoast.UUCP> Date: Wed, 5-Dec-84 11:52:55 EST Article-I.D.: ncoast.471 Posted: Wed Dec 5 11:52:55 1984 Date-Received: Sun, 16-Dec-84 11:51:53 EST References: <127@ISM780B.UUCP> <266@rlgvax.UUCP> Reply-To: bsa@ncoast.UUCP (Brandon Allbery) Organization: The Galactic Coordinator's Office, Klovia Lines: 39 Summary: The Plexus manuals have an entry for a command (I forget the name and I'm 25 miles or so away from the manuals at the moment :-) that works like cat except that EOF it sleeps for some user-specified amount of time and then tries to read to the next EOF, so on forever. This is for ORDINARY FILES, mind you (i.e. redirected output from make; I'd like to see that option); if an ordinary file can be so handled, why should a terminal be any different? Especially since the terminal works that way anyway??? (About you DECcies: I remember a problem on a DEC 20/60 that forced a shutdown because the program was looking for hardware EOF on a terminal. I don't expect to EVER see that on a Unix system. If that bug exists in TOPS-20, why not other nonsensical bugs -- and I choose to treat sticky EOF as a bug, given that a terminal doesn't sticky EOF at all, in reality. I give you 3 choices: 1) inconsistent file handling. What sticky EOF is in 4.2bsd, what it is on any system that treats magtape EOFs as not absolute (most, I think) EXCEPT standard Unix. And if you do that to Unix, you lose the whole argument for Unix because files are *no longer* always identical in the view of the program. In fact, I don't think the result can be CALLED Unix. 2) consistent file handling with sticky EOF. And how do you propose to make compatible magtapes? 3) consistent file handling with NON-sticky EOF. What most Unix versions do. Thus working nicely with magtapes and terminals; and also useful in examining dynamic files like the running output of make (or /usr/spool/uucp/LOGFILE :-) --bsa -- Brandon Allbery @ North Coast Xenix | the.world!ucbvax!decvax!cwruecmp! 6504 Chestnut Road, Independence, Ohio | {atvax!}ncoast!{tdi1!}bsa (216) 524-1416 \ 44131 | E1439@CSUOHIO.BITNET (friend's acct.) | BALLBERY (161-7070) on MCI Mail ---------------------------------------+--------------------------------------- Keeping the Galaxies safe for Civilization... :-)