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From: mat@amdahl.UUCP (Mike Taylor)
Newsgroups: net.unix
Subject: Re: Unix cmd names obscure?
Message-ID: <795@amdahl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 21-Dec-84 17:01:52 EST
Article-I.D.: amdahl.795
Posted: Fri Dec 21 17:01:52 1984
Date-Received: Sun, 23-Dec-84 01:49:11 EST
References: <229@pyuxt.UUCP> <981@opus.UUCP>
Organization: Amdahl Corp, Sunnyvale CA
Lines: 21

>                                                        IEFBR14, if written
> as the obvious, single-instruction program "  BR 14", does NOT work.
> Reason:  It fails to set a proper value for its return code, which means
> that it may fail mysteriously.  An entertaining rumor has it that this bug
> actually existed in IEFBR14 once.  But don't get too cocky--the same bug
> also exists in the UNIX world, since many C programs terminate by falling
> out the bottom of the main program and most C startup routines simply take
> whatever garbage return value this produces as the exit status of the
> program.]
> -- 
> Dick Dunn	{hao,ucbvax,allegra}!nbires!rcd		(303)444-5710 x3086
>    ...Are you making this up as you go along?

It's true. The bug did exist, and was duly APAR'ed (IBM-ese for reported)
and fixed. In fact, I believe there have been three APAR's (problem reports)
against IEFBR14. This was so long ago I don't remember what the others
were ? Does any OS/360/370 trivia buff remember ?
-- 
Mike Taylor                        ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,amd,sun}!amdahl!mat

[ This may not reflect my opinion, let alone anyone else's.  ]