Re: localeio

[Brian Ginsbach <ginsbach%netbsd.org@localhost>]

On Wed, May 21, 2008 at 01:02:25PM -0400, Thor Lancelot Simon wrote:
> On Wed, May 21, 2008 at 02:49:15PM +0000, Brian Ginsbach wrote:
> > 
> > Were there objections to the original code?
> 
> I didn't notice the original code.
> 
> > > > Also note that FreeBSD has used this same "database" format for
> > > > something like seven years.
> > > 
> > > FreeBSD's locale database has more problems.  That's why we didn't
> > > just import it.
> > 
> > Please point out what you think the problems are with FreeBSD's
> > format.
> 
> The lack of a magic number is itself a killer, for me.  If Soda-san

Again, maybe.  But why is this being made more complex?

> thinks there are other problems, I trust him.

The other problems should be enumerated.  Otherwise how will they not
be repeated?

> 
> > If the FreeBSD "database" format has such problems they why haven't
> > they fixed them in seven years?
> 
> Heh.  That is not something FreeBSD is good at (of course, at times
> we have not been good at it either).  Another example, just off the top
> of my head, is how TCP checksum offloading was broken in a way totally
> unobvious to users (both software and hardware would always compute the
> checksum on TX), with the full knowledge of several FreeBSD developers,
> for *years*.  Bugs naive users don't notice tend to linger.

Fine.  It happens in every OS.  But that still doesn't answer the
question, "what are the problems?"

My point is is that maybe there really aren't problems and it works
"good" enough.  I don't know I don't use FreeBSD.  However, I do
see that MacOS X (at least 10.3) still has the same "database"
format.  It appears that they are used.

> 
> > Understood.  It is getting a wider audience now.  I've not heard
> > other comments.
> 
> I agree with pretty much everything Soda-san said.

Which was?  I understand the no magic number.  I may not agree but
understand.  I'll maintain that the other "problem" Soda-san pointed
out isn't a "problem".  I believe he said so as well.

I'm waiting to find out what exactly the other problems are before I
agree or disagree any further.

--
Brian