Subject: Re: utmp file format change
To: NetBSD Userlevel Technical Discussion List <tech-userlevel@netbsd.org>
From: Greg A. Woods <woods@weird.com>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 08/22/2001 17:37:57
[ On Wednesday, August 22, 2001 at 13:42:17 (-0700), James Graham wrote: ]
> Subject: Re: utmp file format change
>
> These cases are sufficiently infrequent that perhaps a converter or
> processing option should be added.
No, it's far easier and safer in the short run and the long run to just
store the data in a fixed format in the first place. It's not like it's
an expensive operation, or a frequent one for that matter. Binary
on-disk formats should always be in a well defined byte order and have
well defined width values too. All the world is *not* a VAX.
(the assumption here of course is that the on-disk format will change
regardless)
--
Greg A. Woods
+1 416 218-0098 VE3TCP <gwoods@acm.org> <woods@robohack.ca>
Planix, Inc. <woods@planix.com>; Secrets of the Weird <woods@weird.com>