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From: cross@spitfire.i.gajendra.net (Dan Cross)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.shell
Subject: Re: Default PATH setting - reduce to something more sensible?
Date: Sat, 25 Jan 2025 15:35:38 -0000 (UTC)
Organization: PANIX Public Access Internet and UNIX, NYC
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In article <vn2hsj$2pe96$1@dont-email.me>,
Janis Papanagnou  <janis_papanagnou+ng@hotmail.com> wrote:
>> [snip]

Most of this discussion seems to be talking at cross-purposes.
I don't see much point in responding to the specifics.

My point was simply to show that shell behavior varies with
respect to how $PATH is treated; caveat emptor.

I don't usually use bash, but if you do and you really don't
like this behavior you can turn it off.

>> You may consider it bad design, and you're well within your
>> rights to do so, but opinions on that vary, and it doesn't mean
>> yours is correct.
>
>So you think that behavior of Bash is good design here? - Okay,
>noted.

Please don't put words in my mouth.  I don't really have much of
an opinion on whether what bash does here is good or not: it is
neither wrong nor right, it simply is what it is.

I do recognize that, for better or worse, the universe of useful
or even just interesting software is far larger than the small
sample set you seem to want to constrain it to.  In that very
large space, there have been, and will continue to be, many
different design points and implementations with respect to how
these sorts of things are handled; indeed, just a couple of
years ago shells were an active area of research:
https://nikos.vasilak.is/p/pash:hotos:2021.pdf

I have found that generally one would be wise not to make too
many assumptions about what is "correct" versus what one is just
most familiar/comfortable with.

	- Dan C.