POSIX compliance [RE: Another package ported]

[Jim Franklin]

-----Original Message-----
From: Thomas Bushnell, BSG [mailto:tb@becket.net]
Sent: Monday, May 28, 2001 10:35 AM
To: Roland McGrath
Cc: Marcus Brinkmann; debian-hurd@lists.debian.org
Subject: Re: Another package ported


Roland McGrath <roland@frob.com> writes:

> Have you followed the discussion here where someone said there is a
> standard now constraining the maximum anyone can expect to use?
> Maybe someone can post the specific citation for whatever that was?

Yes, of course we conform to the standard.  I was kvetching that the
standard sucks.  :)

Is there a reason we follow the standard at all times? If the hurd is
cutting edge technology wouldn't it seem that the standard should to some
extent conform to the hurd's requirements? Is there a particular benefit to
being completely POSIX compliant? Are there ways to petition the POSIX
standards committee to modify their standard in certain instances? Standards
in my experience are set to create predictable outcomes for given
circumstances. Is it more effort than is feasible to ask for a modification
of the standards (this seems likely if you are dealing with a bureaucracy)?
Is it a semi-political situation such as in the US where it is necessary to
have approval from the AMA American Medical Association to market a medical
product or UL Underwriters Labratories to market say a child's toy or
product. It is undeniable the benefits of having guidelines but is there a
point where it is not a benefit but a hinderance?
 I guess what I'm trying to say is if the hurd is GNU 'GNU is not Unix', why
would the hurd try so hard to be Un*x standards compliant. Wouldn't it be
better to try to be POSIX compliant where ever possible but where it hinders
developement of the hurd either document the change to POSIX compliance in
the code or ask for a change in the standards from the folks who write the
POSIX standards?
 Like most folks, if I see the word 'standards' I think of something
inviolate. Is this the case here? If someone could explain the situation it
would save me a lot of research. I never really took the time to look at the
big picture of creating a new OS. I am sure there may be some type of
politics involved.
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