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Note: Just did a quick check on machines with AIX and SunOS. They don't seem to have lsb_release installed (and after all, this is Unix not Linux stack). Problem with gcc is that some ppl now start using clang. Also you can never be sure which gcc was used to build (on systems I work with there are at least few versions on each). So my vote goes to Python solution as it seems to be installed now everywhere by default.

elmo
– elmo

2013-09-25 09:16:08 +00:00
Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 9:16
@elmo - yes LSB is Linux Standard Base, so I wouldn't expect either AIX or SunOS to have it. My experience with SunOS is 15+ years, and the majority of vendors whose software I dealt with would usually provide there own shell script similar to the ones I referenced above. Until Solaris 11, Python was not an option. And this is what makes it a difficult nut to crack. If you provide software that needs to run on Solaris 9, 10, 11, AIX, and a couple of Linux distros (SUSE, Ubntu, and RHEL) what do you do? Python is not an option, so you're left with a hand coded shell script.

slm
– slm ♦

2013-09-25 09:29:36 +00:00
Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 9:29
@elmo - gcc though, an option, doesn't appear to be that appealing to me either. It seems wrought with too many problems, I was demonstrating it merely as an option.

slm
– slm ♦

2013-09-25 09:31:16 +00:00
Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 9:31
@elmo - look at the code behind that function, hg.python.org/cpython/file/2.7/Lib/platform.py#l259. Big surprise it's using LSB!

slm
– slm ♦

2013-09-25 09:34:38 +00:00
Commented Sep 25, 2013 at 9:34
@slm: I have access to machine with SunOS 5.10 (which I assume is 10 in your list - I am not that familiar with version numbers/conventions of Sun) and it does have a Python. I have access to machine with AIX 7 and it does have Python. Linux machines obviously have it also. So still Python looks like most portable choice. As for Sun below 10 I am not sure why it wouldn't allow Python to be installed (admittedly current install is lacking i.e. ncurses and ctypes, so who knows). As for Python using LSB it is not surprising at all for Linux if it is default approach.

elmo
– elmo

2013-09-26 10:49:54 +00:00
Commented Sep 26, 2013 at 10:49

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