Re: Early POSIX versions seldom included in history sections

[Alejandro Colomar <alx@kernel.org>]

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Hi Seth,

On Sun, Dec 21, 2025 at 08:17:07AM +0000, Seth McDonald wrote:
> On Sunday, 21 December 2025 at 03:44, Alejandro Colomar <alx@kernel.org> wrote:
> > On Sat, Dec 20, 2025 at 04:17:44PM +0000, Seth McDonald wrote:
> [...]
> > > If the reason is the latter, then I'd be happy to help here. I have
> > > access to POSIX.1-1988, POSIX.1-1990, and POSIX.1-1996, as well as SUS
> > > (1994) and SUSv2 (1997). So I can check each function and update their
> > > man page's history section with an earlier POSIX (or SUS) version if
> > > applicable. Though only if that's desirable for the man pages, of
> > > course; let me know if so.
> > 
> 
> > Yup! Thanks a lot! That would be helpful. :)
> 
> Cool! So just to ensure that I conform to the man pages' preferences/
> standards, I want to ask a few things about documenting POSIX and SUS.
> 
> POSIX and SUS converged to the same document in POSIX.1-2001/SUSv3. So
> if, for example, a function was first introduced in SUSv2 and then first
> appeared in a POSIX standard in POSIX.1-2001, should its history section
> include SUSv2, POSIX.1-2001, or both?

Both.

And for any similar questions, when in doubt, more information is
better.

> Suppose instead a function was first introduced in SUSv2, included in
> POSIX.1-2001 as an XSI extension, then in POSIX.1-2008 it was moved to
> Base. Should its history section include POSIX.1-2001 or POSIX.1-2008 as
> its first POSIX appearance (since XSI is SUS)?

I think you could do this:

SUSv2.
POSIX.1-2001 (XSI).
POSIX.1-2008.

> Suppose a function appeared in POSIX.1-1988, but its function signature
> then was different (e.g., returning 'int' instead of 'ssize_t', or
> taking 'char*' instead of 'const char*'). And it only got its current
> signature in POSIX.1-1990. Should its history section include
> POSIX.1-1988 or POSIX.1-1990?

I'd include both, and then include a paragraph clarifying that in
certain standards it had a different prototype (and show the prototype).


Have a lovely day!
Alex

-- 
<https://www.alejandro-colomar.es>

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