Re: Teleconference Minutes from 16th December 1999

[Dan Kegel <yyyy@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

"H. Peter Anvin" wrote:
> > It may be a good idea to standardize paths for interpreters.
> > This seems to be a good idea because more and more Linux guys
> > are putting #!/bin/bash into shell scripts.
> >
> > Sot there should be an aggreement about which interpreters
> > may be used at all (because they are part of a standard system)
> > and where they need to be located.
> 
> Another option is to leave it to the system installers' disgression; if
> so it should be coded that the string specified in the #! should be the
> one returned by the "which" command.

That wouldn't yield cross-platform portability of scripts, which one
assumes is the goal.

[Ignore the following if it's wrong; I don't know the standards]
At the least, the standard might want to mandate that /bin/sh be 
available on all systems, that if perl is available on the system,
it be available as /bin/perl (perhaps as a symbolic link), 
and that the #! trick work.
If you do standardize the #! trick, suid script issues need to be considered.

- Dan

-- 
(The above is just my personal opinion; I don't speak for my employer,
 except on the occasional talk show.)