From: broeker AT acp3bf DOT knirsch DOT de (Hans-Bernhard Broeker)
Newsgroups: comp.os.msdos.djgpp
Subject: Re: Reading directories, readdir/stat too slow
Date: 5 Oct 1999 15:05:50 +0200
Organization: RWTH Aachen, III. physikalisches Institut B
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Charles Sandmann (sandmann AT clio DOT rice DOT edu) wrote:
[...]
> The problem is much of the GNU code isn't portable - it incorrectly
> assumes unix 

I find this verdict a bit too strong. The GNU code we're talking about
here *cannot* be done truly portably, as there is no support for
reading directories foreseen in ANSI/ISO Standard C. GNU's code was
originally meant to be portable among all the various flavours of Unix
boxes, so it's exactly correct that it assumes the least common
denominator of Unix to be present, IMHO. In choosing to stay as close
as possible to the next-most common standard, POSIX, GNU code is
actually as portable as it can possibly be, taking into account its
original target platforms.

After all, the project is still called "GNU's Not Unix". No mention of
DOS or Windows to be seen. In porting these tools to a non-Unix
platform, *we* decided to take over the task of emulating some
critical parts of Unix.

> and DJGPP tries to fix all the bad GNU code out there by adding
> crutches in the libc.

DJGPP doesn't try to 'fix' anything, here. Or if at all, it's DOS that
is fixed by putting a layer of portability enhancements around it, not
the GNU utilities. It tries to provide a close emulation of POSIX on a
non-Unix platform. And it does that remarkably well.
-- 
Hans-Bernhard Broeker (broeker AT physik DOT rwth-aachen DOT de)
Even if all the snow were burnt, ashes would remain.