Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!seismo!mimsy!umd5!brl-adm!brl-smoke!gwyn From: gwyn@brl-smoke.ARPA (Doug Gwyn ) Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards Subject: Re: unrming files (was: stupidity in directory management?) Message-ID: <6155@brl-smoke.ARPA> Date: Thu, 23-Jul-87 02:22:08 EDT Article-I.D.: brl-smok.6155 Posted: Thu Jul 23 02:22:08 1987 Date-Received: Sat, 25-Jul-87 05:48:34 EDT References: <603@nonvon.UUCP> <27300013@ccvaxa> <705@sol.ARPA> Reply-To: gwyn@brl.arpa (Doug Gwyn (VLD/VMB)) Organization: Ballistic Research Lab (BRL), APG, MD. Lines: 20 What is all this? I thought this was UNIX-WIZARDS? So why all the discussion about how to ADD unnecessary stuff to the OS kernel? The UNIX kernel has fully enough hooks to support applications managing file backups any way they wish. The raw UNIX system (and its shell user interface) has no business implementing any PARTICULAR file backup strategy; at that level it should do as it's told (copy data, remove a link, etc.) without trying to second-guess user intentions. Any specific policy for file management should be imposed by end-user interfaces -- which the UNIX shell is emphatically NOT. If you don't have a Macintosh-like user agent, then use my "Adventure shell" that knows how to reincarnate dead beasties. But don't clutter up the simple, direct program/programmer support environment with crap that assumes something non-universal about user intentions. It gets in the way of effective control of one's tools.