Re: SSD TBW

On 8/23/2026 9:08 AM, Scott Dorsey wrote:
> Don Y  <[email protected]> wrote:
>>>> One configures applications (CVS in this case) to use the extension
>>>> of the file as an indication of how it should be treated.
>>>
>>> You can do this, but you can also let it use the magic numbers instead.
>>> Which is appropriate depends on your environment.
>>
>> And, its going to magically be able to compare JPGs, executables,
>> .so's, etc?
> 
> No, but it (at least SCCS) will know to treat different kinds of file
> differently.
> 
> There's no reason you couldn't have a jpeg-comparing function these days.
> That's the marvel of the Unix philosophy... modularity.

Yet you don't see a "-jpeg" option to diff...

>> Play with something like Beyond Compare (Windows) and see how helpful
>> file comparison can be.
> 
>> See my post regarding file equivalence and how "text" -- so common in
>> UNIX systems (esp for configuration "databases") -- means so little.
>> Yet, folks want to bias the VCS towards supporting that over all
>> other "file types".
> 
> Well, yes, because in the Unix world most useful files can be treated that
> way.  Remember that "version control" started out initially as "source code
> control."
"Text" does nothing for you -- except let you use a text editor to
maintain it.

Note that vipw(8) adds value -- it ensures all of the passwd-associated
files remain in a consistent format.  BECAUSE IT IS AWARE OF THAT FORMAT,
even though the files still identify as "text" (no magic numbers, etc.)

Tools should augment your abilities, enhance your productivity, etc.
Not constrain it or coerce it into a specific form to suit THEIR
limitations.

There's no reason for the absence of a viethers tool.  Or, vihosts.  Or,
viboottab.  And just imagine all of the tools you could create to keep
X configured properly!!  The existence of such tools would free the
implementation to use a form other than "text files".

[I have all of the configuration details for my machines in a series
of relational databases.  I had initially thought of backporting
this into the BSD distros that I use but realized that effort
would likely offend "historical purists".  So, instead, I have
scripts that query the RDBMS and know how to "write" the appropriate
files that are then copied into each host.  My *current* project
doesn't rely on such a kludge and tools directly access the records
in the appropriate tables.  Constrraints on the tables ensure that
the tools need not validate their input -- the RDBMS won't accept
bad data and is "guaranteed" to maintain the integrity of the data
given to it.  My, what a novel idea...]

Instead, you have to "manually" enforce the rules for these with discipline
and awareness *or* deliberately invoke soomething else that will check
them for you.

"Use leading spaces instead of tabs"
"Ensure file is terminated with a newline"

Because that's the way it has always been (yet we can freely make sweeping
changes to OTHER things that are more consequential).  But, we want to keep
these things for just the use of The Elite, right?  <rolls eyes>