Bug 90737 - /etc/profile.d/lang.sh by default sets LANG=en_US for unsuspecting users
Summary: /etc/profile.d/lang.sh by default sets LANG=en_US for unsuspecting users
Keywords:
Status: CLOSED NOTABUG
Alias: None
Product: Red Hat Linux
Classification: Retired
Component: initscripts
Version: 7.3
Hardware: All
OS: Linux
medium
medium
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Bill Nottingham
QA Contact: Brock Organ
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2003-05-13 03:05 UTC by Bob Proulx
Modified: 2014-03-17 02:36 UTC (History)
1 user (show)

Fixed In Version:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed: 2003-05-19 00:14:28 UTC
Embargoed:


Attachments (Terms of Use)

Description Bob Proulx 2003-05-13 03:05:55 UTC
Description of problem:
/etc/profile.d/lang.sh by default sets LANG=en_US for unsuspecting users

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
initscripts-6.67-1

How reproducible:
100% reproducable

Steps to Reproduce:
1. Install Red Hat.
2. Log in.
3. echo $LANG
    
Actual results:
en_US

Expected results:
[...nothing...]

Additional info:
By setting LANG=en_US by default you are choosing a dictionary sort order for
users without letting users know this is what is happening.  There is never
the ability to select POSIX or C as the default LANG.  At install time you
should give users the ability to select C or POSIX as the default.

Setting LANG automatically to a dictionary sort order locale causes all
commands using strcoll(3) to sort in a dictionary sort order which folds
case and ignores punctuation characters resulting in a surprising and
non-standard sort ordering which users are not expecting.  This violates
the principle of least surprise.

Comment 1 Bill Nottingham 2003-05-19 00:14:28 UTC
That is intentional.



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