GNU bloat

gcal: The Gregorian calendar program (GNU cal) 3.01

I installed gcal to test my ISO 8601 parser. I have some differences with it.

first, if you type gcal --help, you get this:

gcal: The Gregorian calendar program (GNU cal) 3.01

Copyright (c) 1994, 95, 96, 1997, 2000 Thomas Esken

Usage:  gcal [[OPTION...] [%DATE] [@FILE...]] [COMMAND]

Usage:  gcal [-|/{[?|h|??|hh|L|V]|{CDFIPHKNORSXbcfijnpqrsuv}}] [[MM] [YYYY]]

  -h,  --help          Display this help text and quit program
  -hh, --usage[=ARG]   Display extended help text and quit program
  -L,  --license       Display software license and quit program
  -V,  --version       Display version information and quit program
  -p,  --pager         Direct output through external `less' pager

Use `gcal --usage[=ARG]|[=?] --pager' for more information.

Email bug reports to <deleted>
or (if this fails) to <deleted>.

so the --help option returns no actual help. seeing this, I tried -hh. here are SOME of the options it prints out.

--exit-status-help-non-zero

Set EXIT status of program to 127 on `--help' etc.

-R ARG
--response-file=ARG

Create response file for the `@FILE' option
ARG = Store arguments of command line in file ARG

-S ARG
--shell-script=ARG

Create shell script which contains the arguments of command line
ARG = File name of the shell script

--export-date-variables

Export local date variables from file to file

--export-text-variables

Export local text variables from file to file

-u
--suppress-calendar

Suppress output of calendar sheet explicitly

-p
--pager

Direct output through simple internal pager

--mail[=ARG]

Send output via `mail' program to user
[ARG] = Email address, otherwise eMail is send to user `boredzo'

--adjust-value=ARG

Set reference value for rise/set time respectively shadow length
ARG = Angular value respectively factor in range: -90.0...+90.0

--atmosphere=ARG

Set base data of Earth's atmosphere
ARG = Air pressure and temperature separated by `,' character
Air pressure in Millibar (actual: 1013.250)
Air temperature in degrees Celsius (actual: +15.000)

--limit

Limit rise/set times of Sun to the day

--precise

Represent astronomical times and data with utmost precision

--execute-command

Execute `%![ARG]' shell commands and "TVAR[?|\:]COMMAND" assigments

finally, at the very end:

------------------------oOO      \\\_''/      OOo---------------------------
Thomas Esken               O     (/o-o\)     O  eMail: deleted
Im Hagenfeld 84                 ((  ^  ))       Phone: +49 deleted
D-48147 Muenster; Germany    \____) ~ (____/    MotD : 2old2live, 2young2die

so:

1. why does this program reproduce functions (e.g. pipe to mail) already provided by the shell?
2. why does it need to know about the atmosphere?
3. WHY does it have such an awful email signature in there?

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