Path: utzoo!mnetor!tmsoft!torsqnt!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!mit-eddie!mintaka!think!samsung!uunet!auspex!guy
From: guy@auspex.auspex.com (Guy Harris)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.wizards
Subject: Re: Why isn't argv[argc]==(char *)0 ?
Message-ID: <2667@auspex.auspex.com>
Date: 24 Nov 89 22:09:23 GMT
References: <547.nlhp3@oracle.nl> <11606@smoke.BRL.MIL> <1979@uwbull.uwbln.UUCP>
Reply-To: guy@auspex.auspex.com (Guy Harris)
Distribution: comp
Organization: Auspex Systems, Santa Clara
Lines: 13

>well, main() and execv() originate in the first versions of UNIX and
>at least in Version 6, argv[argc] was (char *) -1.  The manual page stated
>that argv could not be used directly in a call to execv().  in version 7,
>they purged the ``not'' from the manual page....

...because they purged that "terminate it with -1" behavior from the
system.

>i'm not sure but maybe the v6 style behaviour survived in some unix derivates?

Not in V7, and not in its derivatives BSD and System {III,V}.  If you
know of any derivatives in which it still survives, let us know so we
can avoid those Mutant UNIXes From Hell....