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I was hoping this would answer a recent question about the origin of the `unlink(1)` command. [1] The table says it appeared in FreeBSD 3.5.0, but in digging I
by sigil 9y ago
I was hoping this would answer a recent question about the origin of the `unlink(1)` command. [1] The table says it appeared in FreeBSD 3.5.0, but in digging I found that FreeBSD introduced it after NetBSD, who introduced it "for XCU5's sake, and due to popular demand." [2] So `unlink(1)` must have existed in some even earlier Unix variant.
So the history of these things remains murky. Part of that is it's difficult to find old ("superseded") versions of the XCU / XOpen specs, let alone trace the new things each revision introduced to the sometimes-now-extinct Unix variants they first appeared in.
I do love the `unix-history-repo` and applaud the ongoing work there!
[1] https://twitter.com/alangrow/status/966081208487575552 https://twitter.com/alangrow/status/966081208487575552
[2] https://github.com/NetBSD/src/commit/54af00c6ee446afe395f319015194e6946276523 https://github.com/NetBSD/src/commit/54af00c6ee446afe395f319...
- qubex 9y agoI think you mean superseded.
- sigil 9y agoFixed, thanks.
- jwilk 9y agounlink(1) is indeed in SUSv2/XCU5: http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/7908799/xcu/unlink.html http://pubs.opengroup.org/onlinepubs/7908799/xcu/unlink.html I couldn't get my hands on SUSv1/XCU4. It's supposedly available here: https://publications.opengroup.org/c43x https://publications.opengroup.org/c43x But you have to log in to download, and I gave up upon seeing account creation form with 16 required fields. "Open" in "The Open Group" is a bad joke.
- sverige 9y agoAccording to the HISTORY section at the bottom of the OpenBSD man page for unlink() , it first appeared in Version 1 AT&T UNIX. [1] FWIW, all OpenBSD man pages have a history section at the bottom that notes when the command first appeared. [1] https://man.openbsd.org/unlink https://man.openbsd.org/unlink