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From: lkw@csun.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.unix,net.lang
Subject: Re: Are any parts of UNIX in public domain?
Message-ID: <189@csun.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 30-Apr-86 21:01:08 EDT
Article-I.D.: csun.189
Posted: Wed Apr 30 21:01:08 1986
Date-Received: Sat, 3-May-86 20:01:18 EDT
References: <481@batcomputer.TN.CORNELL.EDU> <518@looking.UUCP> <2437@teddy.UUCP> <142@myab.UUCP> <197@gilbbs.UUCP>
Reply-To: lkw@csun.UUCP (Larry Wake)
Organization: California State University, Northridge
Lines: 30
Xref: watmath net.unix:7748 net.lang:2414

In <197@gilbbs.UUCP> Pnews thinks mc68020@gilbbs.UUCP (Tom Keller) wrote:
>> It is interesting to notice that the previously very small (and fast)
>> shell procedure /bin/true now has a size of 747 bytes and a doubled
>> execution time.
>
>   This may be so, but I hardly think it can be attributed to the addition of
>copyright notices.  All comments are ignored by the compiler, so there could
>be literally megabytes of comments related to copyright without affecting the
>size of the binary by even one byte.  I would suggest that you look for other
>explanations (maybe AT&T implemented /bin/true in interpretive BASIC? :-) )
>
>tom keller

Well, no, but they DID write it as an interpretive shell script, as the
original article noted.  Several megabytes of comments could possibly
have a detrimental impact on the runtime performance... :-)
(Sorry Tom, couldn't resist...)

Actually, /bin/true on our SVR2.2 (I think) system is exactly one line --
the SCCS comment statement.  /bin/false isn't much longer: two SCCS
comment statements plus exit 255 (oh my, did I just release proprietary
information?).

Disclaimer: Can you prove it didn't happen? (Criswell, PLAN NINE FROM
OUTER SPACE)
-- 
Larry Wake                   uucp:   {ihnp4 | hplabs | psivax}!csun!lkw
CSUN Computer Center         BITNET: RETPLKW@CALSTATE
Northridge, CA 91330         ARPA:   RETPLKW%CALSTATE@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
"It's like a big sneeze" -- Dr. Ruth Westheimer