Re: on the irresponsibility of pursuing C language reform

Sam James <[email protected]> Fri, 31 Jul 2026 22:59:47 +0100

Newsgroups	org.kernel.vger.linux-man
Organization	Gentoo
Message-ID	<[email protected]>

"G. Branden Robinson" <[email protected]> writes:

> Hi Joseph,
>
> At 2026-07-31T21:23:35+0000, Joseph Myers wrote:
>> I think it's irresponsible to use the man-pages project to promote
>> personal idiosyncratic ideas like this in preference to what's been
>> the standard location of functions since 1989.
>
> I'm sure I don't need to bring to your attention what a mine field
> string/`char` sequence/memory buffer handling has been in C since the
> language's inception.
>
> More to the point: what's a better forum for pursuing this attempt at
> reform that will both (a) reach a significant population of stakeholders
> who can variously red-team it and/or endorse it; and (b) has sufficient
> visibility that it can't easily be ignored by people who oppose reform
> in this area for whatever reason?
>

I think the man page already tries to discourage use in its CAVEATS
section.

> I hope you do not wish to imply that a closed session of some committee,
> or unofficial backroom politicking would be preferable, nor that WG14
> should close its doors to members of its user community who have not
> been vetted for a disinclination to boat-rocking.

I am confused as to where that implication could have possibly come
from. Joseph is opposing the change in the form of a patch that is
likely to be applied (*) to man-pages.git which has the effect of
advocacy.

I don't think it has anything to do with WG14 membership or anything of
the like? What am I missing?

(*) Alex has a history of making opinonated changes like this to
man-pages, such as removing references to older standards, and using a
somewhat novel (to many) syntax for prototypes.

>
> Regards,
> Branden

sam

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