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From: Boyd Roberts <boyd@prl.dec.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Aug 1991 12:07:40 -0500
To: rc@archone.tamu.edu
Subject: Re: early reaction(s) to rc
In-Reply-To: <9108231651.AA27879@margay.cs.wisc.edu>
Message-Id: <9108231907.14113.rc.bafiy@prl.dec.com>
X-Face: #"03$i1:"_[Hbg~GCPw}`+d4_R`}RaDfYixB`n-mCB0E8m#tNd>uyd[d<DIM0G$`0'*Yp+f
 Qw-B0lP>)`nEix7Bys(:o#o2y7$(=,&BTXdH7)Hm5jP}H5:y]}0GT4?uTT(Y0(Cu7tWBXj\|q\@jZ8
 Y_qn8)NV0*$uO][i7p"K2>Kg(

    I have suggested to Byron making the rc flags available in a special
    variable.  I think the Plan 9 rc does this, but I don't have my docs
    handy to check.

I've been thinking about `rcmain' for a while here Byron.  It gets executed
on every rc invocation.  It cleans up a lot of bad gore to do with
interactiveness, because the command line option processing is done in
this global rc script.  I spoke to Duff about it, I know you think it's
hideous, but it's a lot cleaner than special:

  - signals
  - variables
  - braindamage

You don't want `set' in rc.  You have arrays already, and with the trivial
number of options available, there's no point in going `set -x' or whatever.

For gods sake lets keep the shell stable, and concentrate on getting
the bugs out and _not_ the options in!

Duff told me:

    rcmain does the flags that affect initialization, to wit:
          -p      `protected' -- don't read functions, set path=(. /bin)
          -c      execute a command given on the command line
          -i      `interactive' -- print prompts for commands
          -l      `login shell' -- read $home/lib/profile before user's commands

I think it's a really neat idea.  We should do it.  It also solves a headache
I have here with DEC X invoking rc with this braindamaged `-s' option when i
log in -- gag.