Home • About Us • A-Z Index • Search * Contact Us • Register • Login • Press • Shop

The Open Brand -- Problem Reporting and Interpretations System

Problem Report 0546 Details

Help Show help | Quick Search | Submit a Test Suite Support Request | Click here to view your privileges

This page provides all information on Problem Report 0546 and all reviews you are authorized to see.

Report 0546 Actions

    Problem Report Number 0546
    Submitter's Classification Specification problem
    State Resolved
    Resolution Minor System Fault (MSF)
    Problem Resolution ID MSF.X.0037
    Raised 1970-01-01 08:00
    Updated 2003-03-13 08:00
    Published 1995-10-13 08:00
    Expiry Date null
    Product Standard Commands and Utilities V2 (UNIX 95)
    Certification Program The Open Brand certification program
    Test Suite VSC version 4.1.4
    Test Identification POSIX.upe/uux/uux.ex 0
    Problem Summary MSF4C.00001 Uux must be present for branding, but is only required to support a local connection.
    Problem Text
    This request was refused and the customer has now asked for a formal 14
    day review and sent in the following additional information.


    We have received your refusal response to our waiver request for 'uux'.

    We are now requesting an "anonymous review" of this waiver request.

    We believe that the Application Usage section for uux, in the
    "X/Open CAE Specification (1994) Commands and Utilities Issue 4,
    Version 2", paragraph 3, sentence 2:

    "On systems where there are no available communications means
    (either temporarily or permanently), this utility will write
    an error message describing the problem and exit with a non-zero
    exit status."

    should be considered NORMATIVE text.

    There is no requirement in the Standard that a communications
    channel be available and no requirement for proper inter-
    operability with arbitrary XPG4 branded systems. There is no
    format specified for communications with a remote XPG4 branded
    system.

    In support of our belief that the presence of a communications
    channel in not mandated by the normative text of the
    specification, the change history for the UUX command for Issue
    4 of XPG states that the "presence of the utility is mandated,
    even on systems where no communications are available." Although
    this text is most definitely not normative, it is a strong
    indication of the intent of the authors of the specification.
    Test Output
    X/Open Commands and Utilities, Issue 4, section 1.7.1, Codes states
    for code UN "Possibly unsupportable feature.
    It need not be possible to implement the required
    functionality (as defined) on all XSI-conformant systems
    and the functionality need not be present. This may, for
    example, be the case where the XSI-conformant system is
    hosted and the underlying system provides the service in
    an alternative way."

    The uux utility, SYNOPSIS section, is marked with the UN code.
    However, this same utility is not listed in the Table of Possibly
    Unsupportable utilities in section 1.3.4. And, in the CHANGE HISTORY
    section of uux, in the specification, under Issue 4, the last
    sentence states "Presence of the utility mandated, even on systems
    where no communications are available."
    Our implementation contains a binary for uux but it is merely
    a stub and does not perform the uux functionality.
    Instead we have implemented the behavior which is described
    under APPLICATION USAGE it states:

    Review Information

    Review Type TSMA Review
    Start Date null
    Completed null
    Status Complete
    Review Recommendation No Resolution Given
    Review Response
    We recommend this request be refused.

    Our logic is as follows...

    The uux utility, SYNOPSIS section, is marked with the UN code.

    The uustat utility is marked with both the UN and EX codes. We
    believe the entire synopsis is marked because of the EX code.
    Section 1.7.1 of the XCU spec states

    If an entire SYNOPSIS section is shaded and marked with one EX,
    all the functionality described in that entry is an extension.

    We believe the UN code refers to the uustat options which are
    labeled as UNs. If the EX code were not present only these options
    would be marked in the SYNOPSIS.

    However, this same utility is not listed in the Table of Possibly
    Unsupportable utilities in section 1.3.4. And, in the CHANGE HISTORY
    section of uux, in the specification, under Issue 4, the last
    sentence states "Presence of the utility mandated, even on systems
    where no communications are available."

    The fact that uux is not listed in the table of possibly unsupported
    utilities supports our assertion. If the entire utility were unsupported
    it should be listed there. The CHANGE HISTORY is not a normative part
    of the spec (see below).

    under APPLICATION USAGE it states:
    ... "On systems where there are no available communications means
    (either temporarily or permanently), this utility will write
    an error message describing the problem and exit with a non-
    zero exit status."

    Although we can find no explicit statement anywhere in the spec. We
    believe through previous experience that the APPLICATION USAGE
    section, which this statement is quoted from, is not normative.
    It exists only to provide

    "advice to the application programmer about the way the
    utility should be used"

    We believe the APPLICATION USAGE paragraph quoted is advising
    programmers how to handle situations where no communication
    channels are configured on a machine, nothing more.

    Furthermore, we believe that all spec sections following APPLICATION
    USAGE are not normative either. This is the logic behind our
    deprecating the CHANGE HISTORY section reference above.

    Once we eliminate the non-normative portions of the spec from
    consideration there is no discrepency in the spec.

    uux must be supported.

    We cannot support uucp on our implementation in a meaningful way
    and we believe that uux provides a similar function, which we are
    also unable to (meaningfully) support. This utility should be
    listed in should be included in the Table of Possibly
    Unsupportable utilities, allowing it to be UNSUPPORTED in test
    suite.

    We have reccommended that X/Open refuse your request to
    have the uucp on your system support no communications means.

    If that reccommendation is accepted a working uux which supports
    remote command execution must also be provided.

    Review Type Expert Group Review
    Start Date null
    Completed null
    Status Complete
    Review Resolution No Resolution Given
    Review Conclusion
    In an attempt to summarise, it looks as if we are agreeing that
    uux may be legitimately be required to perform as specified purely on a
    local system. The implication is that they need not be required to operate
    on a remote system. This seems to be consistent with our failure to define
    any protocol for use by these commands.

    Based on this, the recommendation is that we grant a Temporary Waiver.

    Review Type SA Review
    Start Date null
    Completed null
    Status Complete
    Review Resolution Minor System Fault (MSF)
    Review Conclusion
    A Temporary Waiver is granted.

    Problem Reporting System Options:

     

    Back   

Contact the Certification Authority