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From: gatech!skeeve!arnold@harvard.harvard.edu (Arnold D. Robbins)
Date: Fri, 14 Feb 1992 08:08:05 -0600
X-Mailer: Mail User's Shell (6.5.6 6/30/89)
To: rc@archone.tamu.edu
Subject: a standalone test
Message-Id: <9202140908.AA02330@skeeve.ATL.GA.US>

> From: Byron Rakitzis <byron@archone.tamu.edu>
> Subject: Re:  Just how brain dead is SCO Unix?
> Date: Mon, 10 Feb 1992 20:50:53 -0600
> 
> I am sure there is a GNU test out there. Try looking for a "shellutils"
> package.

Most likely one would have to yank test out of bash, although I have to
admit to not having checked the gnu shellutils.  (Anyone who thinks ksh
is bloated should take a look at bash. Sheesh.)

The "right" thing to do (IMHO) is to write a simple ftest program
that always takes exactly one option and one argument, and does not do any
of the string or number comparisons of /bin/test.

	ftest -x /bin/rc
	ftest -w /dev/null

and hook things together with the shell's && and || instead of -a and -o.
Use ~ or switch for string matching and expr for math.  Pardon me if I've
stated the obvious.

Arnold Robbins -- The Basement Computer		| Laundry increases
Internet: arnold@skeeve.ATL.GA.US		| exponentially in the
UUCP:	{ gatech, emory }!skeeve!arnold		| number of children.
Bitnet:	Forget it. Get on a real network.	|    -- Miriam Robbins