Re: [PATCH] Prevent redundancy in 'uname -a' (w/ChangeLog)

[Robert Millan]

On Wed, Jul 21, 2004 at 10:36:04AM -0700, Paul Eggert wrote:
> I dunno, that patch looks a little weird to me, as it causes "-a" to
> behave non-orthogonally with respect to the -o option (i.e., -o is
> treated differently from -s/-n/-r/-v/-m/-p/-i).  Also, I suppose it
> might break some software that parses "uname -a" output (any such
> software is unportable, but we'd rather not break it anyway...).
> 
> What's the motivation for the change?

In Debian, "uname -a" is executed by login right after authenticating.
In GNU/kFreeBSD systems, `uname -s` output is equal to `uname -o`. Therefore
everytime you login in Debian GNU/kFreeBSD it prints the same information
twice, making the string look redundant and longer.

>From my aesthetical view it doesn't look nice, but I understand the drawbacks
you described, and won't insist more on this (a sign of relief is heard ;).
Just do as you see fit.

-- 
Robert Millan

"[..] but the delight and pride of Aule is in the deed of making, and in the
thing made, and neither in possession nor in his own mastery; wherefore he
gives and hoards not, and is free from care, passing ever on to some new work."

 -- J.R.R.T., Ainulindale (Silmarillion)