ISO/IEC JTC1/SC22/WG15 (POSIX) Meeting, Copenhagen, Denmark 20-24 May 1996 Meeting Report 1. Introduction: Seventeen representatives of seven member bodies attended the seventeenth meeting of WG15 in Copenhagen, from: Canada, Denmark, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, the UK and the USA. The meeting agenda included fifty action items from WG15's previous meeting, plus fifty-six input papers. WG15 Plenary occupied four days of the week, Including a one day joint session with its Rapporteur Group on Internationalisation (RIN). A separate meeting of a RIN ad-hoc was authorised by WG15 Plenary to meet during the week and to complete an orderly close of RIN's outstanding business. 2. WG15 Plenary The flood of POSIX work items passing through the various stages of ISO comment, balloting and approval continues. WG15 spent much of its meeting ensuring that the administrative framework for the process was in place. 2.1 Currently Active WG15 Work Items: 22.41 Additional Utilities & Internationalisation The PDAM registration ballot of a draft corresponding to IEEE P1003.2b is about to close in ISO (30-May). WG15 approved the ballot resolution process necessary to handle any comments on the document. 22.43 Security Amendment ISO CD ballot on the extensions for 9945-1 and 9945-2 will complete in May. WG15 approved the ballot resolution necessary to prepare a disposition of comments (should there be any) on the document. 22.21.03.02 Batch Services The PDAM ballot is complete. There were no ballot comments. The US was actioned to provide the final draft of the document to ITTF for DAM ballot. 22.21.03.01 System Administration There has been no change to the status of this work item. The IEEE development group is beginning to make progress on the document. 22.21.03.04 Software Administration The CD ballot on this document is complete. The final version of the document will be sent to DIS ballot as soon as it is available. 22.21.03.05 User Administration The CD ballot on the User Administration draft completed successfully with no comments. The final version of the document will be sent to DIS ballot as soon as it is available. 22.21.03.03 Print Adminstration IEEE ballot recirculation is due towards the end of 1996. The US was actioned to forward the latest draft to SC22 for concurrent CD registration and ballot. 22.39 Extensions to the 9945-1 Base Standard The draft is about to go to IEEE recirculation ballot. This is one of the WG15 work items which has not reached the CD registration stage within three years. WG15 resolved to request SC22 to extend the deadline on this project, and authorised concurrent CD registration and ballot for the document when it became available. 22.21.40 Extensions to real time This document is nearing completion of IEEE ballot comment resolution. Although the document is being circulated in SC22 for review and comment (as 1003.4b Draft 8) at the moment, it is also about to fail the CD-within-three-years measure. WG15 resolved to request an extension of that deadline. 22.42 Security Amendment ISO CD ballot on the extensions for 9945-1 and 9945-2 will complete in May. WG15 approved the ballot resolution necessary to prepare a disposition of comments (should there be any) on the document. 22.21.01.03.01 Transparent File Access WG15 resolved to forward this document to SC22 for concurrent CD registration and ballot. 22.21.01.03.03 Protocol Independent Interface This draft was also approved for forwarding to SC22 for concurrent CD registration and ballot. 14519 Ada Language Bindings: Ada Real Time Extensions This work item was debated at some length during the meeting. The project is another which is about to stumble at the three-year -without-CD hurdle. WG15 resolved to request an extension of that deadline and to encourage the US to forward the current IEEE standard for fasttrack as soon as possible. 22.38 TR 14252 Guide to POSIX OSE This work item is almost complete. The final DTR ballot was affirmative, and the disposition of comments has been prepared and circulated. Minor editorial changes are required, and when the final draft is available it will be sent to ITTF for processing. 22.37 13210 Test Methods This revision of 13210 is out for IEEE recirculation. WG15 resolved to request SC22 for CD registration of the revised document. 14515-1.01 Test Methods for 1990 component This work item is almost complete. The ISO DIS ballot was completed with no comment: final editorial changes are required before passing the document to ITTF for publication. 14515-1.02 Test Methods for Real Time Extensions WG15 actioned the US to circulate the appropriate draft of this document to SC22 and WG15 for review and comment. WG15 resolved to request PDAM registration, should it be appropriate, after the Review and Comment period. 14515-2 Test Methods for 9945-2 The CD ballot on this document closes 25-July. WG15 resolved to approve a disposition of comments meeting to take place following the close of ballot. Comprehensive Test Methods NP This was a new work item proposed by the UK in 1993. Efforts in EWOS EG-CT have now made the work item redundant and the UK recommended it should be dropped. WG15 concurred. Guide for POSIX National Profiles and National Locales The work item was approved by JTC1, but misassigned to SC6. WG15 resolved to recommend that the work be undertaken within the IEEE process, but chaired by Japan and with a Danish Technical Editor. The intention is that most of the work would be done electronically, and the group be encouraged to meet with WG15 at its second-quarter meetings. 2.2 UK Concerns: 2.2.1 IEEE/ISO Synchronisation: The issue of synchronisation of work on POSIX within the IEEE development body and within ISO was raised in a set-piece debate on the Wednesday. Debate centred around a set of proposals to modify the formal Synchronisation Plan from Denmark. The concern, in brief, is that ISO sees draft documents too late in their development cycle to have real opportunity to influence their content. Denmark cited the example of 9945-2 and its current Internationalisation amendment, where it felt that a number of its concerns had been rejected because 'they would reduce concensus' at the late stage in (IEEE) balloting. The Danish proposals to the Synchronisation Plan would effectively move the focus of control on document production and balloting to ISO from the IEEE. At the end of a long debate, WG15 reached a compromise set of changes to the Synchronisation Plan, requiring that IEEE drafts be submitted to ISO for formal CD (or PDAM) registration at the point when the draft entered the IEEE ballot process. The intention was written into the revised Plan that ISO ballot comments, of at least a general nature, would be expected from member bodies at that stage, in order to raise areas of concern with the IEEE development group. WG15 also voted to accept a set of proposed changes to the Synchronisation Plan from the UK which were intended to ensure that new work items in the IEEE, and the formation of IEEE ballot groups, would be formally notified to WG15 member bodies. 2.2.2 Rapporteur Group on Internationalisation (RIN) During WG15's 'meeting of the whole' with RIN on Tuesday, WG15 debated the RIN Issues List and found RIN's work to be largely complete. WG15 resolved to terminate the activities of RIN and to authorise a RIN ad-hoc to meet at the end of the week, with the sole purpose of performing an orderly close of RIN's remaining business and of transferring it to WG15, where it will be concluded. 3. UK Delegation: The UK delegation consisted of: David Cannon UK BSI IST/5/-/15 Convenor Martin Kirk X/Open liaison Nick Stoughton PUKE David Cannon 24-May-1996