Re: [RFC] Is it okay to just use GNU extensions or should an alternative be provided too?

[Robert Millan <rmh@aybabtu.com>]

On Sat, Aug 16, 2008 at 02:43:13PM +0200, Felix Zielcke wrote:
> Am Samstag, den 16.08.2008, 15:32 +0300 schrieb Vesa Jääskeläinen:
> > 
> > Please use what ever we have on grub source code already. Then it work
> > fine also in standalone grub.
> 
> Maybe this time my mail was a bit too short? :)
> especially, I ask for asprintf in util/misc.c so just GRUB_UTIL.
> 
> But Marco and I thought it would be good to make a general discussion
> about GNU extentions.
> GCC is needed anyway because of the nested function but what about glibc
> or other stuff?

For code that is to be shared with real GRUB, we should only use GRUB's own
functions, so there's no concern there.

For util/ code, IMO we should be careful not to break other systems.  GCC is
widely available, so it's not such a big concern, but not so for Glibc.

In general, I think we should avoid the complication of implementing two
versions of our code (one with GNU-isms and one without) by only implementing
the portable one.

As for asprintf, I think unless/untill someone reports that it is missing on
a system where GRUB is usable (i.e. where we have loaders for their kernel),
we shouldn't worry about it.

> But yeah maybe there's even in the kernel a use for asprintf,
> so maybe a good idea to make a grub_asprintf?

Probably not (because of space reasons), unless we find it terribly needed.

But it's also possible to have it in real GRUB without having it in kernel.

-- 
Robert Millan

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