Re: vfork

Matthias Andree (mandree@sx1.HRZ.Uni-Dortmund.DE)
10 Nov 1999 13:28:01 +0100


"Albert D. Cahalan" <acahalan@cs.uml.edu> writes:

> 1. man pages should not rant about kernel design choices
> 2. man pages should not encourage _or_ discourage portability

3. man pages should document portability/compatibility issues to the
full extent known.

> Man pages exist to document the system. That is their primary function.
> It is also nice to document portability issues, but this is secondary.

Next is, that one starts documenting bugs in functions is secondary? I
consider documenting portability issues - particularly if based on
design choices - crucial.

> Those that wish to write portable software may purchase a copy
> of "Advanced Programming in the UNIX Environment" or POSIX itself.

Heck, that costs lotsa money. That's about purchasing... =:->

> Since the POSIX version is so useless, you can just consider vfork() to
> be a Linux-specific call. On a modern Linux system, one may depend on
> quite a few things.

If it is so incompatible, why should the Linux vfork() then bear the
same name as POSIX vfork()?

-- 
Matthias Andree

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