IEEE 1003.1-2008

IEEE Std 1003.1-200x defines a standard operating system interface and environment, including a command interpreter (or "shell"), and common utility programs to support applications portability at the source code level. It is intended to be used by both applications developers and system implementors. IEEE Std 1003.1-200x comprises four major components (each in an associated volume): 1. General terms, concepts, and interfaces common to all volumes of IEEE Std 1003.1-200x, including utility conventions and C-language header definitions, are included in the Base Definitions volume of IEEE Std 1003.1-200x. 2. Definitions for system service functions and subroutines,language-specific system services for the C programming language, function issues, including portability, error handling, and error recovery, are included in the System Interfaces volume of IEEE Std 1003.1-200x. 3. Definitions for a standard source code-level interface to command interpretation services (a "shell") and common utility programs for application programs are included in the Shell and Utilities volume of IEEE Std 1003.1-200x. 4. Extended rationale that did not fit well into the rest of the document structure, containing historical information concerning the contents of IEEE Std 1003.1-200x and why features were included or discarded by the standard developers, is included in the Rationale (Informative) volume of IEEE Std 1003.1-200x. The following areas are outside of the scope of IEEE Std 1003.1-200x: * Graphics interfaces * Database management system interfaces * Record I/O considerations * Object or binary code portability * System configuration and resource availability IEEE Std 1003.1-200x describes the external characteristics and facilities that are of importance to applications developers, rather than the internal construction techniques employed to achieve these capabilities. Special emphasis is placed on those functions and facilities that are needed in a wide variety of commercial applications. The facilities provided in IEEE Std 1003.1-200x are drawn from the following base documents: * IEEE Std 1003.1™, 2004 Edition (POSIX-1) (incorporating IEEE Stds 1003.1™-2001, 1003.1™-2001/Cor 1-2002 and 1003.1™-2001/Cor 2-2004) * Open Group Technical Standard, 2006, Extended API Set Part 1 * Open Group Technical Standard, 2006, Extended API Set Part 2 * Open Group Technical Standard, 2006, Extended API Set Part 3 * Open Group Technical Standard, 2006, Extended API Set Part 4 * ISO/IEC 9899:1999, Programming Languages - C.

The basic goal was to promote portability of application programs across UNIX system environments by developing a clear, consistent, and unambiguous standard for the interface specification of a portable operating system based on the UNIX system documentation. POSIX.1-2008 codifies the common,existing definition of the UNIX system.

Revision Standard - Superseded. This standard is simultaneously ISO/IEC 9945, IEEE Std 1003.1, and forms the core of the Single Unix Specification, Version 3. This 2004 edition includes IEEE Std 1003.1-2001/Cor 1-2002 and IEEE Std 1003.1-2001/Cor 2-2004 incorporated into IEEE Std 1003.1-2001 (the base document). The two Corrigenda address problems discovered since the approval of IEEE Std 1003.1-2001. These changes are mainly due to resolving integration issues raised by the merger of the base documents that were incorporated into the IEEE Std 1003.1-2001, which is the single common revision to IEEE Std 1003.1-1996, IEEE Std 1003.2-1992, ISO/IEC 9945-1:1996, ISO/IEC 9945-2:1993, and the Base Specifications of The Open Group Single UNIX® Specification, Version 2.