fix uniq -c [LWN.net]

fix uniq -c

Posted Feb 16, 2025 16:33 UTC (Sun) by ck (subscriber, #158559)
In reply to: fix uniq -c by stijn
Parent article: Rewriting essential Linux packages in Rust

You might be setting yourself up for disappointment. uutils is aims to be bug for bug compatible with coreutils. Any deviation is considered a bug.
While I generally like the push to abolish the old coreutils, this compatibility makes it a huge waste of time on my opinion.

to post comments

fix uniq -c

Posted Feb 17, 2025 13:52 UTC (Mon) by taladar (subscriber, #68407) [Link] (2 responses)

The compatibility is a necessary first step to make anyone consider replacing the old coreutils with these new ones. Once that replacement has happened everywhere I am sure some adjustments could be made (in 10-20 years).

fix uniq -c

Posted Feb 17, 2025 13:55 UTC (Mon) by pizza (subscriber, #46) [Link] (1 responses)

...Ah yes, the classic embrace-extend-extinguish approach.

I thought that was a bad thing?

Embrace-extend-extinguish

Posted Feb 17, 2025 14:15 UTC (Mon) by farnz (subscriber, #17727) [Link]

That depends on the licence of the new project; when Linux embraced, extended and then extinguished proprietary UNIXes, that was a good thing because it moved from a world of gatekeepers to an open source world. When Microsoft attempted to embrace-extend-extinguish the open web with ActiveX, that was a bad thing because it would move us from an open world, to one in which you paid Microsoft as a gatekeeper for technology access.