RFC: Removing file(1)+libmagic(3) from the base system

[David Schultz]

On Wed, May 23, 2007, Colin Percival wrote:
> Can anyone make a strong argument for keeping this code in the base system?

Removing it from the base system would merely amount to a
marketing ploy, wherein we get to say that FreeBSD has fewer
security holes because file(1) is a "third-party package".  Doing
so wouldn't make FreeBSD installations any more secure in
practice. Virtually everyone would have to install file(1) anyway,
and those who didn't wouldn't care about security holes in it
anyway.  In fact, removing it from the base system could make
FreeBSD's file(1) less secure because developing and disseminating
patches for holes in ports is a lower priority than patching holes
in the base system.