[nycbug-talk] OpenBSD sdiff port to FreeBSD

[Jeff Quast]

On 5/17/07, Steven Kreuzer <skreuzer at f2o.org> wrote:
>
> Greetings-
>
> OpenBSD includes a version of sdiff written by our very own Ray
> Lai, and released to the public domain.
>
> In a quest to remove as much GPL code from FreeBSD as possible, I
> ported it over.
>
> If you want to try it out, You can download the source at
> http://www.exit2shell.com/~skreuzer/code/sdiff.tar.gz
>
> To install:
> $ su -
> # cd to /usr/src
> # patch -p0 < /path/to/sdiff-cvs-merge.patch
> # sh /path/to/sdiff.shar
> # make buildworld && make installworld
>
> Let me know if you encounter any problems. I would like to see if
> I can get the GNU version of sdiff removed and replaced with this
> in FreeBSD. It might be somewhat of an uphill battle, but it is
> worth a shot.
>
> --
> Steven Kreuzer
> http://www.exit2shell.com/~skreuzer



I was just reading a thread concerning this very topic on diff utilities
this weekend on a dragonfly bsd list (some obscure unreleated search brought
me there). I was especially concerned with Dillon's reply:
http://leaf.dragonflybsd.org/mailarchive/submit/2004-02/msg00123.html

"   Compared to all the gnu junk we depend on, I don't know why people
    would be concerned over something as simple-stupid as 'diff'.  I see
    no advantage (or disadvantage) to changing our diff."

I disagree with Mr. Dillon. This sort of ideology does not seem BSD-like.
Its a very simple replacement. A hundred of these replacements can really
add up to something!

I also enjoy the availability of software in /usr/src for hacking without
restrictions. /usr/src lives on my desktop as a reference manual, and one
that I can build on, borrow from, or reuse as I see fit in my own programs.
Running into code that is also GPL licensed is a real bummer when you're
deep into a run... I stop thinking about hacking and start thinking about
legal shit.
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