Subject: Re: RFC seq(1) command
To: Hubert Feyrer <hubert@feyrer.de>
From: Brian Ginsbach <ginsbach@NetBSD.org>
List: tech-userlevel
Date: 01/12/2005 03:56:10
On Wed, Jan 12, 2005 at 12:04:04PM +1100, Luke Mewburn wrote:
> On Tue, Jan 11, 2005 at 02:30:12PM +0100, Hubert Feyrer wrote:
>   | On Tue, 11 Jan 2005, Brian Ginsbach wrote:
>   | >I've written a BSD licensed version of seq(1) from Plan 9 and I'd
>   | >like some feedback.  I'll commit this in several days if I don't
>   | >hear any strong objections.  Note this command is also a part of
>   | >the GNU `coreutils'.  Yes, I know that jot(1) has similar functionality.
>   | 
>   | Why do you think this must be committed (to src/*, I presume),
>   | esp. if there's already a tool that does something similar?
>   | I'd suggest to make it into a pkg for now.
> 
> At a guess: "because many Linux distros have such a command [because of
> GNU coreutils] and many 3rd party tools/scripts assume it's available".

Exactly.  Thanks Luke.  I couldn't have put it better myself.

I also it is a nice little utility to have and the command line
syntax is a bit easier than that of jot.  Similar functionality
doesn't necessarily mean a one-to-one mapping.

Plus I had (have) no plans on making this a package.  A package
implies a bit more work (supporting other OSes etc.)  I wrote this
for NetBSD (1.5!) with every intention of giving it to NetBSD.  I
only "discovered" jot by accident well after I wrote my version of
seq -- I "discovered" seq first.  The seq command is a bit more
well known as evidenced by GNU coreutils.

--
Brian