bug#36729: 27.0.50; Unclear total in directory listing

[Eli Zaretskii]

> From: Lars Ingebrigtsen <larsi@gnus.org>
> Cc: Mattias Engdegård <mattiase@acm.org>,  Eli Zaretskii
>  <eliz@gnu.org>,
>   36729@debbugs.gnu.org
> Date: Wed, 07 Oct 2020 06:44:18 +0200
> 
> Stephen Berman <stephen.berman@gmx.net> writes:
> 
> > Yes, but since this idea won't work with all ls implementations, I
> > assumed it's not worth pursuing.
> 
> It works with ls on GNU systems, right?  I think that's what we care
> about most.

I no longer understand what we are trying to solve here.  Can someone
please summarize the current HEAD of this discussion?  E.g., what
would replace that summary line under the latest proposals?