From: "Maciej W. Rozycki" <macro@linux-mips.org>
To: Frank da Cruz <fdc@columbia.edu>
Cc: Liam Stitt <stittl@cuug.ab.ca>, Mike <michael@rmrco.com>,
GNU C Library <libc-alpha@sourceware.org>
Subject: Re: C-kermit fails
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 2020 13:41:04 +0100 (BST) [thread overview]
Message-ID: <alpine.LFD.2.21.2007311327120.1926041@eddie.linux-mips.org> (raw)
In-Reply-To: <CAKqtx9_MuOj0wm_aTNakkSu_JsaMLagzoH_XQ1Xo2WBzQ_bv+w@mail.gmail.com>
On Fri, 24 Jul 2020, Frank da Cruz wrote:
> The reason I use getchar/getc is that Kernighan and Plauger recommend it
> because it's buffered and avoids needless context switches. I'm sure you
> guys don't care much about the efficiency of character loops, but some of
> the ancient machines where C-Kermit runs are pretty slow.
I can't speak for other people, but myself I do care, and I also enjoy
using vintage computers, although maybe not as old as DECSYSTEM-20 (a VAX
is probably the oldest piece I have).
Since you already use #ifdefs to provide code alternatives then may I
suggest that you keep the relevant piece for the systems where the gain
from using getchar/getc is actually noticeable and switch to documented
standard interfaces for contemporary systems?
This way you'll keep the benefits for everyone: much needed performance
for the old systems and portability for current systems where any gain
from fiddling with libc internals accidentally exposed is lost in the
noise?
> Computers and
> operating systems are supposed to serve the needs of human beings. But
> when you make non-backward-compatible changes to operating systems that
> break existing applications, you force people to stop what they are working
> on (a cure for some deadly disease, perhaps) and search for a new version
> of the application they were using that "complies" with the new "standard",
> and then, not finding one, hunt down and contact the developers, if they
> are still alive, and beg them to "update" their software.
Yes, this is painful indeed, and much overlooked by software developers
nowadays IMO.
> At Columbia U the transition from DEC-20 to Unix (DEC Ultrix at first) was
> a massive job; NO software could be ported, all the applications had to be
> rewritten from scratch, in C of course. But going from Ultrix to SunOS to
> Solaris and finally to Linux was relatively painless. So I think the
> objective of Unix OS developers should be *towards* compatibility rather
> than away from it, as seems to be the case with glibc.
This is why we have a set of standards for the interfaces we promise to
support. Please try and stick to them.
Maciej
next prev parent reply other threads:[~2020-07-31 12:41 UTC|newest]
Thread overview: 16+ messages / expand[flat|nested] mbox.gz Atom feed top
2020-07-24 16:29 C-kermit fails Mike
2020-07-24 16:33 ` Florian Weimer
2020-07-24 17:36 ` Zack Weinberg
2020-07-24 18:47 ` Paul Eggert
2020-07-24 19:41 ` Frank da Cruz
2020-07-24 19:45 ` Frank da Cruz
2020-07-24 20:05 ` Zack Weinberg
2020-07-27 8:10 ` Florian Weimer via Libc-alpha
2020-07-24 21:07 ` Paul Eggert
2020-07-24 23:45 ` Frank da Cruz
2020-07-25 1:59 ` Paul Eggert
2020-07-31 12:41 ` Maciej W. Rozycki [this message]
2020-07-31 18:22 ` Frank da Cruz
2020-07-31 20:23 ` Paul Eggert
2020-08-01 0:17 ` Frank da Cruz
2020-08-01 8:07 ` Paul Eggert
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