Dan Price writes: > But then... wouldn't we be tying the implementation of wc, etc. > to the *private interfaces* of something which originates externally?
Yes. > Is that architecturally sound? Would PSARC accept this (I ask because > I honestly don't know the answer). As long as the project team commits to managing this arrangement, there's no ARC problem here. "Managing" it means inspecting every imported change in that external software to make sure that it doesn't harm the committed functionality expected from `wc' and others. That means engineering work -- not (merely) testing, but rather a commitment to maintaining those interfaces. We certainly do have stable interfaces in Solaris today that are built on external bits. The one issue that could arise is a more subjective one: do the ARC members (and perhaps more importantly do the C-team members) believe that the project team can actually accomplish this? I can't answer that. For what it's worth, I'm much more worried about divergent functionality between these built-ins and the main system executables (especially given how hard it is to avoid surprising behavior) than I am about the risk inherent in relying on "external" software. -- James Carlson, KISS Network <james.d.carlson at sun.com> Sun Microsystems / 1 Network Drive 71.232W Vox +1 781 442 2084 MS UBUR02-212 / Burlington MA 01803-2757 42.496N Fax +1 781 442 1677
