Re: PATH vs. Path (was: Re: Savannah W32 patches... are any OK?

[Eli Zaretskii]

> Date: Wed, 02 Mar 2005 09:37:16 +0100
> From: Alessandro Vesely <address@hidden>
> CC: address@hidden
> 
> I haven't been able to find out the reason why on
> Wed Oct  1 15:45:09 1997  Rob Tulloh <address@hidden>
> 
>         * main.c [WINDOWS32]: Any arbitrary spelling of Path can be
>         detected. Make will ensure that the special spelling `Path' is
>         inserted into the environment when the path variable is propagated
>         within itself and to make's children.
> 
> At that time it was common belief that "the practical effect, and the presumed
> reason for Microsoft's inclusion of [lower case in env var names], is that the
> two key Windows system variables are write-protected against tampering."
> http://groups.google.it/groups?selm=8vj30d%244efo7%241%40ID-55970.news.dfncis.de
> 
> I don't think GNU make needs to prevent the user from setting tha PATH. Being 
> based
> on Unix's `trust the programmer' school of thought, GNU make would never do 
> that.
> In addition, AFAICR, NT and case-preserving env vars were already there at 
> the time.
> 
> My feeling is that make would work more smoothly setting just PATH. However,
> I presume that there is a specific problem that has been solved introducing 
> the
> different spelling. Hence we should not just remove it.

If Rob doesn't respond, we could try removing that change and see who
complains and why.  There's a chance that no one will.