[net.sources.d] converting sh scripts to C code

jpn@teddy.UUCP (John P. Nelson) (06/27/86)

In article <6854@utzoo.UUCP> henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) writes:
>if you have a modern shell (the ancient Bourne shell that comes with 4BSD
>does not qualify), you may not see all that much improvement.
>
> ...
>
>If you are not running the SVR2 sh or equivalent, you need to upgrade
>your shell.  Only after that is accomplished is it worth considering
>conversion to C, in my opinion.

No problem, I just plunk down $40000 dollars for a SVR2 source licence
(I can't buy a binary, the binary won't run on my machine), figure out
how to extract the source for sh from the distribution tape (My system
doesn't HAVE cpio, yet that is how AT&T insists on distributing), then
throw the rest of the tape away.  SURE.  I am also in need of a bridge
in brooklyn.

At least an sh to C converter program is AVAILABLE at a sane price.

I sure wish AT&T had a more lenient licensing/upgrade policy.

levy@ttrdc.UUCP (Daniel R. Levy) (06/29/86)

In article <2801@teddy.UUCP>, jpn@teddy.UUCP (John P. Nelson) writes:

>In article <6854@utzoo.UUCP> henry@utzoo.UUCP (Henry Spencer) writes:
>>if you have a modern shell (the ancient Bourne shell that comes with 4BSD
>>does not qualify), you may not see all that much improvement.
>> ...
>>If you are not running the SVR2 sh or equivalent, you need to upgrade
>>your shell.  Only after that is accomplished is it worth considering
>>conversion to C, in my opinion.
>No problem, I just plunk down $40000 dollars for a SVR2 source licence
>(I can't buy a binary, the binary won't run on my machine), figure out
>how to extract the source for sh from the distribution tape (My system
>doesn't HAVE cpio, yet that is how AT&T insists on distributing), then
>throw the rest of the tape away.  SURE.  I am also in need of a bridge
>in brooklyn.
>At least an sh to C converter program is AVAILABLE at a sane price.
>I sure wish AT&T had a more lenient licensing/upgrade policy.

I cannot speak for /bin/sh but however ksh (superset of Bourne, many bells
and whistles, almost as efficient as SysV Bourne) is available as source
for approximately $2000 (non AT&T sites) and will compile under a number of
BSD variants as well as SysV.  It was authored by David Korn of Bell Labor-
atories (ulysses!dgk).  Korn himself posted a notice to this effect in 
net.unix-wizards [I think] some time ago.

jpn@teddy.UUCP (John P. Nelson) (06/30/86)

>>>If you are not running the SVR2 sh or equivalent, you need to upgrade
>>>your shell.

>>No problem, I just plunk down $40000 dollars for a SVR2 source licence

>I cannot speak for /bin/sh but however ksh (superset of Bourne, many bells
>and whistles, almost as efficient as SysV Bourne) is available as source
>for approximately $2000 (non AT&T sites)

My understanding is that you STILL need a System V source licence to obtain
ksh source for $2000 additional.  Thanks for nothing, AT&T.

 John Nelson
.
.
.
. (2.10.3 inews insists on more new lines than quoted lines!  GRRRRR!)
.
.

dyer@spdcc.UUCP (Steve Dyer) (07/01/86)

My understanding is that "ksh" is available for $2000 via electronic UUCP
distribution from the AT&T Toolchest.  You need to sign an
agreement/sort-of-P.O.-type form, but to the best of my knowledge,
no System V license is needed.
-- 
Steve Dyer
dyer@harvard.HARVARD.EDU
{linus,wanginst,bbncca,bbnccv,harvard,ima,ihnp4}!spdcc!dyer

john@frog.UUCP (John Woods, Software) (07/02/86)

> >>>If you are not running the SVR2 sh or equivalent, you need to upgrade
> >>>your shell.
> >>No problem, I just plunk down $40000 dollars for a SVR2 source licence
> >I cannot speak for /bin/sh but however ksh (superset of Bourne, many bells
> >and whistles, almost as efficient as SysV Bourne) is available as source
> >for approximately $2000 (non AT&T sites)
> My understanding is that you STILL need a System V source licence to obtain
> ksh source for $2000 additional.  Thanks for nothing, AT&T.
> 
>  John Nelson

I have here in front of me the "A Browser's Guide to the UNIX System
Toolchest", a piece of marketing handed out at a recent USENIX.  They don't
explicitly mention needing a System V source license, but they mention that
if you have a System V license (type unspecified), they'll waive the $100
registration fee -- therefore, I take it that no System V license of any kind
is needed to register to use the Toolchest, or to get tools.

ksh-i (the new International ksh, with 8-bit characters and zillions of bug
fixes) was made available a short time ago and it arrived here at CRDS
yesterday.  Cost for the new ksh-i is $3000.  They also have New Make for
$1200 (I believe, that is from memory).

The Toolchest seems to me to be a wonderful idea (though I wish they'd fix
their buggy display program...).

--
John Woods, Charles River Data Systems, Framingham MA, (617) 626-1101
...!decvax!frog!john, ...!mit-eddie!jfw, jfw%mit-ccc@MIT-XX.ARPA

"Imagine if every Thursday your shoes exploded if you tied them the usual way.
This happens to us all the time with computers, and nobody thinks of
complaining."
			Jeff Raskin, interviewed in Doctor Dobb's Journal