Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bloom-beacon!apple!vsi1!wyse!mips!wilkes
From: wilkes@mips.COM (John Wilkes)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.att
Subject: Re: Full command line arguments/process status
Keywords: uuencode/compressed binary included
Message-ID: <15656@electron.mips.COM>
Date: 21 Mar 89 18:37:57 GMT
References: <455@polyof.UUCP> <1818@umbc3.UMBC.EDU>
Reply-To: wilkes@mips.COM (John Wilkes)
Organization: MIPS Computer Systems, Sunnyvale, CA
Lines: 51

In article <1818@umbc3.UMBC.EDU> alex@otter.UMBC.EDU (alex) writes:
|In article <455@polyof.UUCP>, john@polyof.UUCP ( John Buck ) writes:
|
|> Being that the response was so large, I have decided to post the
|> uuencoded/compressed(b12) program.
|
|	With all respect for John for posting his work, I can't help but be
| [...]
|disturbed and insulted by the binary-only distribution of this
|program. I for one would never consider using a binary without source,

I really dislike seeing content-free postings that merely say, "Yeah, what
he said," but I am compelled to post just such a thing right now.

I, too, was distrurbed by seeing a binary-only posting to this group.
The description of the program is intriguing, and it sounds like a useful
tool.  However, I have no intention of running a setuid program without
first at least glancing at the source to see what it does.  In fact, I have
no intention of running *any* binary that comes off the net.  If I can't
have the source code, I'm not interested.  I wonder how many unix-pc owners
share this opinion?

|	I also think that this sets a bad precident. One of the
|biggest advantages of the unix-pc is the volume of free software

Indeed.

|(emacs? gcc? shcc? sh-ld?  ptys? capcntrl?)

mtools? pcomm? xmodem? kermit? patch? news? rn? less? sc? nbs_time? windy?
The list is infinite.

Another advantage is the community of unix-pc owners.  I have received an
incredible amount of help and support from strangers, none of whom have
ever asked for compensation.  I've even offered meager assistance to others
when I've been able, and I've never sent a bill.

|	I realize that this is a religious issue, but I am a religious 
|person, and something had to be said.

Me, too.  I hope that John reconsiders his position and posts source for
his program.  I'm certain that I could learn something from it.

On the other hand, perhaps he started with proprietary sources, like the
AT&T source for ps, and is legally unable to post the sources.  If this is
the case, I hope he will tell us (and post the diffs, which I believe is
leagal.)

-wilkes
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