Re: [PATCH ethtool 5/5] ethtool: Add --version option

[Ben Hutchings <bhutchings@solarflare.com>]

On Tue, 2011-02-22 at 16:35 -0500, Jeff Garzik wrote:
> On 02/22/2011 08:05 AM, Eric Dumazet wrote:
> > Le mardi 22 février 2011 à 12:37 +0000, Ben Hutchings a écrit :
> >> On Mon, 2011-02-21 at 22:16 -0800, Stephen Hemminger wrote:
> >> [...]
> >>> The standard convention is to use -V for short form of version option.
> >>
> >> This is not anywhere near standard.
> >>
> >> $ cp -V
> >> cp: invalid option -- 'V'
> >> Try `cp --help' for more information.
> >> $ bash -V
> >> bash: -V: invalid option
> >> [...]
> >> $ emacs -V
> >> [opens window]
> >> $ vim -V
> >> chdir(/usr/share/vim)
> >> fchdir() to previous dir
> >> sourcing "$VIM/vimrc"
> >> [...looks like that meant 'verbose'...]
> >
> > Now try with networking tools, many use -V
> >
> > (As a matter of fact, ethtool -h already is used to display help)
> >
> > # ping -V
> > ping utility, iputils-sss20071127
> > # tc -V
> > tc utility, iproute2-ss100823
> > # ssh -V
> > OpenSSH_5.1p1 Debian-5, OpenSSL 0.9.8g 19 Oct 2007
> 
> Stephen is correct, "-V" is a common standard (but by no means 
> universal).  The following is what using argp ("info argp") generates 
> for any program by default:
[...]

Well, it's my bikeshed now. :-)  I don't think it's worth using one of
the few remaining letters on this.

Ben.

-- 
Ben Hutchings, Senior Software Engineer, Solarflare Communications
Not speaking for my employer; that's the marketing department's job.
They asked us to note that Solarflare product names are trademarked.