The Source History of Cat

>>janvdb+(OP)
> But, if you pull up the manual page for something like grep, you will see that it has not been updated since 2010 (at least on MacOS).

Well, GNU grep was last released 16 months ago, and the last change to its master branch was 4 weeks ago: http://git.savannah.gnu.org/cgit/grep.git

FreeBSD's grep was last updated back in August: https://github.com/freebsd/freebsd/tree/master/usr.bin/grep

OpenBSD's grep was last updated 11 months ago: http://cvsweb.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/cvsweb/src/usr.bin/grep/

Oddly, it looks like the Darwin grep was last updated in 2012: https://opensource.apple.com/source/text_cmds/text_cmds-99/g...

Strange that Apple would be shipping such an ancient grep.

>>zeveb+A4
Be aware if you are going to delve into history that grep is the source of much confusion, in part because exactly which program was grep on some systems has changed over the years. On FreeBSD, for example, some years ago grep was the GNU tool and the BSD tool was named "bsdgrep". They would both identify as the same version number.

>>JdeBP+yO
> On FreeBSD, for example, some years ago grep was the GNU tool and the BSD tool was named "bsdgrep". They would both identify as the same version number.

Neither of these statements are true. grep on FreeBSD is still GNU grep, and it has a distinct version text from bsdgrep:

    $ grep -V
    grep (GNU grep) 2.5.1-FreeBSD
    
    Copyright 1988, 1992-1999, 2000, 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
    This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO
    warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
    
    $ bsdgrep -V
    bsdgrep (BSD grep) 2.6.0-FreeBSD

    $ uname -rK
    13.0-CURRENT 1300003

>>loeg+qC2
Tut-tut! So easily demonstratable otherwise.

MacOS:

* https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/352977/

* https://unix.stackexchange.com/a/398249/5132

The very version of FreeBSD from some years ago:

   % bsdgrep --version
   bsdgrep (BSD grep) 2.5.1-FreeBSD
   % grep --version
   grep (GNU grep) 2.5.1-FreeBSD

   Copyright 1988, 1992-1999, 2000, 2001 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
   This is free software; see the source for copying conditions. There is NO
   warranty; not even for MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
   
   %

zlacker