[Bug gdb/27681] FAIL: gdb.base/help.exp: apropos \(print[^[ bsiedf\".-]\) (timeout)

["vries at gcc dot gnu.org" <sourceware-bugzilla@sourceware.org>]

https://sourceware.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=27681

--- Comment #25 from Tom de Vries <vries at gcc dot gnu.org> ---
I tried to look a bit into the history.

Timeline:
- 1989-01-31
  gdb-3.1 commit of binutils-gdb.git adds regex.c. Looks like gnu regex.c,
  has copyright 1985.
- 1992-11-08:
  Initial revision commit of gnulib.git adds regex.c copied from
  GNU regex 0.11. Copyright goes back to 1985.
- 1993-04-03 
  GNU regex 0.12 is released, final release
- 1995-05-18
  Glibc imports GNU regex, presumably from gnulib.
- 1996-05-14
  Last update regex.c from gnulib to glibc
- 1997-07-26
  Gnulib updates regex.c from glibc
- 2000-04-03
  gdb grows option to use regex from glibc
- 2001-07-11
  libiberty imports regex.c from gdb
  https://gcc.gnu.org/pipermail/gcc-patches/2001-May/050292.html
- 2001-09-01
  Gdb starts using libiberty regex implementation.
  https://sourceware.org/pipermail/gdb-patches/2001-September/010733.html
- 2003-01-02
  gdb switches to use regex from glibc by default, provided it's version 2.
  https://sourceware.org/pipermail/gdb-patches/2003-January/023377.html

(In reply to Tom Tromey from comment #24)
> I think there are a few routes forward:
> 
> 1. Change the code to conform to POSIX.  Fine by me.
> 

I'd prefer it to avoid this rewrite.  It just means you'd have to add
functionality somewhere that is already contained in gnu regex.  Sounds like
duplication of work to me.

> 2. Change the code to always use libiberty.  This requires understanding
>    why the alternative was ever made possible.
> 

I miss the option of using gnulib. We currently don't import that module, but
we could.

The commit that introduced the possibility in gdb to use glibc, had the
rationale that glibc was where gnu regex was then maintained.

AFAICT, the commit that changed the default to glibc assumed that that change
was already in place, but undone somehow. I didn't find any evidence in the
source for this, so I'm not sure if there ever was an actual decision taken
there.

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