Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hpfcso!hpfelg!koren
From: koren@hpfelg.HP.COM (Steve Koren)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.tech
Subject: Re: Re: (Alleged) SKsh deficiencies (Whineing)
Message-ID: <13920056@hpfelg.HP.COM>
Date: 8 Mar 90 16:08:55 GMT
References: <DEVEN.90Mar6142851@netserv2.rpi.edu>
Organization: HP Elec. Design Div. -FtCollins
Lines: 34


> Okay, you asked for it...

> All I know is that SKsh is SLOW and LARGE.  It doesn't add enough
> functionality to justify my using it, and it inhibits me too much
> anyhow.  (not supporting resident programs, etc.)

> I want a shell which is resident and reentrant, code size uner 10K if
> possible, 20K max, additional memory overhead minimal (<10K when

Resident lists will work in SKsh 1.4.  Anyhow, I'm sorry I couldn't
meet everyone's needs with SKsh.  I respect your choice, though.
You're absolutely right; it will never be a 10K executable or load in
1/2 a second.

I made a conscious choice when I designed SKsh - the Amiga already had
quite a few good "tiny" shells that provided a few builtin commands and
maybe a few things above and beyond the AmigaDos shell.  Writing another
one of those didn't seem very valuable (to me).  It appeared,
however, that not much existed on the other end of the spectrum, as
least not as freely distributable software.  I wanted a shell with the
features of ksh; one which I could use at home and not have to change
mindsets when I went to work.

What it comes down to, I guess, is the price.  Its free.  You haven't
lost anything except a little time by trying it, and even that should
be minimal; you don't even have to boot it up, as the beginning of the
UserMan document discusses what SKsh is and is not.  You're free to
choose something else if it doesn't meet your needs.  I hope it is useful,
though, to some of the Un*x folks out there.  It will also, perhaps, find
a niche when Amiga Un*x systems become popular - people will be able to
transfer back and forth between OS's with less pain.

    - steve "can't please 'em all, but tries anyhow :-)" koren