4 ms·

grep was already there from BSD, so no reason to add something new. However, speaking as a guy who started out on Sun BSD machines, the very first thing we did

grep was already there from BSD, so no reason to add something new. However, speaking as a guy who started out on Sun BSD machines, the very first thing we did when we got a new box was to replace all the BSD utilities with GNU ones. Virtually all of them are better.

danieldk 10y ago
grep was already there from BSD FYI: OS X's grep is FreeBSD's bsdgrep. However, FreeBSD's default grep is still an ancient version of GNU grep (bsdgrep is only available as bsdgrep.). Also, older versions of OS X used to have GNU grep [1]. So the more likely explanation is Apple's purge of GPL code from OS X. Since later grep versions use GPLv3, GNU grep was a dead end for them. Unfortunately, FreeBSD's bsdgrep has some very annoying bugs (that are also present in OS X). No one seems to care about them, even when a patch is provided [2]. [1] http://opensource.apple.com/release/mac-os-x-1075/ http://opensource.apple.com/release/mac-os-x-1075/ [2] https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=201650 https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=201650
- emaste 10y ago
  The patch in [2] was added a bit over a month ago as a comment in a bug report about the GNU grep in the base system, so I don't think it's a good example of no one caring about bsdgrep bugs. On occasion I search for bsdgrep bugs, and did not find the comment / patch in [2]. Thank you for pointing it out, I'll look at it when I can.
  - danieldk 10y ago
    The patch in [2] was added a bit over a month ago as a comment in a bug report about the GNU grep in the base system, so I don't think it's a good example of no one caring about bsdgrep bugs. I FreeBSD developer requested that I added a report to that bug [1]. After adding the patch to the report, I also reported this to the list [2]. I have also tried to contact the maintainer of bsdgrep with no luck. At some point you just give up ;). [1] https://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions/2016-June/272372.html https://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions/2016-J... [2] https://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions/2016-July/272602.html https://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions/2016-J...
    - emaste 10y ago
      I'm sorry this issue fell through the cracks. Feel free to add me (emaste) to the CC on any bsdgrep PRs you raise or encounter.
      - danieldk 10y ago
        Thanks! I might triage some of the other bsdgrep issues and will take up on your offer if I do so. Sorry for the bluntness in my first comment!
  - tedunangst 10y ago
    Great. Now I've got more work too. :)

danieldk 10y ago

grep was already there from BSD FYI: OS X's grep is FreeBSD's bsdgrep. However, FreeBSD's default grep is still an ancient version of GNU grep (bsdgrep is only available as bsdgrep.). Also, older versions of OS X used to have GNU grep [1]. So the more likely explanation is Apple's purge of GPL code from OS X. Since later grep versions use GPLv3, GNU grep was a dead end for them. Unfortunately, FreeBSD's bsdgrep has some very annoying bugs (that are also present in OS X). No one seems to care about them, even when a patch is provided [2]. [1] http://opensource.apple.com/release/mac-os-x-1075/ http://opensource.apple.com/release/mac-os-x-1075/ [2] https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=201650 https://bugs.freebsd.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=201650

emaste 10y ago
The patch in [2] was added a bit over a month ago as a comment in a bug report about the GNU grep in the base system, so I don't think it's a good example of no one caring about bsdgrep bugs. On occasion I search for bsdgrep bugs, and did not find the comment / patch in [2]. Thank you for pointing it out, I'll look at it when I can.
- danieldk 10y ago
  The patch in [2] was added a bit over a month ago as a comment in a bug report about the GNU grep in the base system, so I don't think it's a good example of no one caring about bsdgrep bugs. I FreeBSD developer requested that I added a report to that bug [1]. After adding the patch to the report, I also reported this to the list [2]. I have also tried to contact the maintainer of bsdgrep with no luck. At some point you just give up ;). [1] https://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions/2016-June/272372.html https://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions/2016-J... [2] https://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions/2016-July/272602.html https://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions/2016-J...
  - emaste 10y ago
    I'm sorry this issue fell through the cracks. Feel free to add me (emaste) to the CC on any bsdgrep PRs you raise or encounter.
    - danieldk 10y ago
      Thanks! I might triage some of the other bsdgrep issues and will take up on your offer if I do so. Sorry for the bluntness in my first comment!
- tedunangst 10y ago
  Great. Now I've got more work too. :)