GNU bug report logs - #23090
true and false not POSIX

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Message #5 received at submit <at> debbugs.gnu.org (full text, mbox):

From: Ruediger Meier <sweet_f_a <at> gmx.de>
To: bug-coreutils <at> gnu.org
Subject: true and false not POSIX
Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2016 13:43:30 +0100

Hi,

Is there any good reason why coreutils true and false are not POSIX?

man 1p true:
  OPTIONS
       None.
  STDOUT
       Not used.

But coreutils true has --version and --help implemented. It needs 
>/dev/null redirection to work as expected.

Also these options are the reason why true.c is using many library 
functions like setlocale, etc. The binary is bloated and the risk that 
something goes wrong/crashs is much higher. I was looking for a minimal 
and rock-solid true command to be used in scripts.

IMO it is not worth to violate POSIX just because of cosmetical reasons 
(--help/--version). Moreover since the true command usually comes from 
the shell I guess that almost no person on earth ever had seen your 
nice --help output anyways.


cu,
Rudi

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