Proposal: ksh version switch script (was: Re:[ksh93-integration-discuss] Extending Makefile.ksh93switch for/bin/sh?)

[Roland Mainz]

"I. Szczesniak" wrote:
> On 8/2/06, Josh Hurst <joshhurst at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 7/28/06, April Chin <April.Chin at eng.sun.com> wrote:
> > > I would prefer any proposed /usr/bin/sh migration be a follow-up
> > > to /usr/bin/ksh migration.  Changing /usr/bin/sh may prove more difficult but
> > > then again the /usr/bin/ksh work may pave the way.
> > OK
> >
> > But I'd like to propose the creation of a script which allows root to
> > switch the shell versions of /bin/ksh between ksh88 and ksh93. In my
> > opinion it would be the perfect compromise.
> 
> This proposal misses lots of details needed for an implementation:
> Should the tool be part of Solaris, only Opensolaris or just a script
> which can be called once as part of a jumpstart profile? How should
> the script be called? kshswitch? shellswitch?

If you want a name follow Sun's habit of calling such adminstrative
stuff "*adm", e.g. "kshadm" or "shadm" in this case... :-)

> Maybe it should work like this:
> 
> $ kshswitch
> Prints the status of /bin/ksh and which version is linked here.
> 
> $ kshswitch -88
> Changes /bin/ksh to the old Solaris version of ksh (the name -88 is
> misleading but Sun's ksh has no official nickname and -88 is close
> enough)
> 
> $ kshswitch -93
> Changes /bin/ksh to ksh93
> 
> $ kshswitch -toggle
> Swaps the version of /bin/ksh

Ouch. Please no "toggle" switches for such tools. The caller should
define exactly ONE state and should switch to that exact state.

Anyway... I thing we should not pursue the idea, otherwise we'll end up
in another (and likely much warmer) hell... ;-(

----

Bye,
Roland

-- 
  __ .  . __
 (o.\ \/ /.o) roland.mainz at nrubsig.org
  \__\/\/__/  MPEG specialist, C&&JAVA&&Sun&&Unix programmer
  /O /==\ O\  TEL +49 641 7950090
 (;O/ \/ \O;)