Re: does it really need gnu patch?

Ben Collins-Sussman <sussman@collab.net> writes:
> > Does it really need GNU patch or would it be safe to remove that
> > requirement?
>
> I know that we require GNU diff, because it's the only version of diff
> that can deal with files that don't end with a newline.

We do, in fact, have GNU diff in NetBSD (because RCS and CVS need it too.)

> As for GNU patch, I'm not sure why we require it. Probably just to be
> consistent. Does anyone remember who wrote ac-helpers/gnu-patch.sh,
> and why? :-)

If there isn't a specific requirement it would be cool to allow other
kinds of patch....

> (The background is: we have no internal diff/patch library, because
> after searching for over a year, we can't find one that isn't GPLed.
> (CVS uses a librarized version of GNU diffutils.) Therefore we use
> the external GNU diff and patch.)

The original patch wasn't GPLed, btw. It only got GPLed after FSF
started maintaining it.

-- 
Perry E. Metzger		perry@piermont.com
--
"Ask not what your country can force other people to do for you..."
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