We have been using the "batch" command in a production environment for
years.  We discovered today that the "batch" command, which is simply a
script that calls the "at" command with arguments, had been changed in a
way that renders it useless.

Here is the present batch script in version 3.1.10:

#! /bin/sh -e
if [ "$#" -gt 0 ]; then
        echo batch accepts no parameters
        exit 1
fi
prefix=/usr
exec_prefix=${prefix}
exec ${exec_prefix}/bin/at -qb now

Here is the previous batch script in version 3.1.8-11:

#! /bin/sh
prefix=/usr
exec_prefix=${prefix}
exec ${exec_prefix}/bin/at -qb now "$@"

Since the batch script will now accept no arguments, then what can it
possibly do ?  Nothing !

The purpose of a batch script is to "submit a job" to a queue for
running in the background.  By removing this capability, the batch
command is presently rendered useless.

As a workaround, we have placed the old batch command of v3.1.8-11
into /usr/local/bin/ so that we can still use it above the delivered one
with v3.1.10.

Also, I agree that the reason for the change (bug report #70988) fixes
the man page to match what batch does.  However, I think that a more
versatile batch is needed or just remove batch altogether.

In a way that renders it compliant with the Single Unix Spec, Version 3.

The Single Unix Spec says that batch should be equivalent to at -q b -m now

You could also invoke at directly, which has a standard-specified interface,
and supports additional parameters for how to schedule jobs.  You haven't
given any examples of non-standard command lines that no longer work, so I
don't know what you feel needs to be there.

The reason for this choice of change is the specification.

The POSIX batch has no parameters. It not useless as it can accept
commands from standard input. The "batch accepts no parameters"
response will ensure scripts are portable.

batch <<__
# List your jobs here
job1
job2
job3
__

Hello,

you can do

  echo "command-to-execute" |batch

works like a charm.


Additionally, the definition of the at call (according to the man
page) is:
at [-V] [-q queue] [-f file] [-mldbv] TIME

It's not intended to submit the actual job on the command line,
neither at nor for batch.

I think this should be redirected as a wishlist item or can be closed.

:wq! PoC