Re: Bug#353911: md5sum --check checks only if _all_ are bad

[Jim Meyering]

Hi again,

Patrick Schoenfeld <address@hidden> wrote:
> Hi Jim,
>
> On Fri, Nov 14, 2008 at 09:09:09PM +0100, Jim Meyering wrote:
>> If you're serious about it, and can sign a copyright assignment,
>> please look through the coreutils contribution/style guidelines
>>   http://git.sv.gnu.org/gitweb/?p=coreutils.git;a=blob;f=HACKING;hb=HEAD
>> and make the following changes/additions:
>
> I was a bit sceptic about this copyright assignment and wondered why the
> HACKING file does not include any link to [1]. Just as a suggestion

What's [1] ?

> cause I think some people might find uneasy about this ("what cow is it
> that I am buying?").
>
>>   - see if some other md5/md5sum program has a similar option
>
> I do not understand that. Which other programs do you mean?
> Utilities in other operating systems, e.g. BSDs md5sum or what do you
> mean? What rationale is behind this?

Exactly.  Do any of the NetBSD, FreeBSD, OpenBSD, Solaris, HPUX,
AIX, etc. programs (sometimes called "md5") have an option to do this?
If there *is* another program with this functionality, then you'd have a
good argument for adding a short-named option: to be compatible with it.
If not, then no new short-named options, on principle: there will be
less risk of conflict with other vendors or evolving/future standards.

>>   - follow instructions in HACKING regarding copyright assignment
>>       start this right away, since it'll take at least two weeks
>>   - make your changes relative to the latest in git (see HACKING)
>>   - add a NEWS entry
>>   - update doc/coreutils.texi
>
> OK. Will work on this (and the testcases) soon. Mail to assign@ has
> already been sent.

Great!

>>   - remove the -p short option
>
> Thats no problem, but just out of curiosity (and to avoid further
> mistakes) is there a specific reason for it? Do you fear that people
> could confuse it with 'preserve' option as seen on other tools, even
> though md5sum does not have something like this?

No. see above.