Robert Elz wrote:
> No, I don't think that's true at all - but just what "single user mode"
> is being referred to seems to be the real issue here.
> 
Ah, that explains a lot!

I've detailed the few commands that's I've ever needed in boot -s, 
which is how *I* think of "single user mode".  I've mostly wanted 
"chown" (was /sbin, now /usr/sbin), "passwd" (/usr/bin), and "more"/"less" 
(/usr/bin).  I seem to remember using "cat" and "ed", too.


> That is, I regard /bin and /sbin are being the home for commands that the
> system has to have available in order to get the rest of a normal system
> functional (that is, to complete the boot process - the "single user mode"
> that every unix system transitions through before coming up multi user).
>... 
>
> On the other hand, /rescue is for all the stuff which is needed if your
> filesystem is hosed, and you need to recover it.   So, there's no rational
> need for tar/pax/cpio in /sbin or /bin (they're not needed in any way to
> get from single user to multi user, no matter what environment) but they
> are going to be needed in /rescue (along with lots more).
>... 

Since NetBSD has departed from the past with the addition of /rescue, 
you may be right in practice!  

However, doesn't the principle of least astonishment lead to keeping 
things in /bin and /sbin in the same manner as other *nix variants?
-- 
William Allen Simpson
    Key fingerprint =  17 40 5E 67 15 6F 31 26  DD 0D B9 9B 6A 15 2C 32