[sf-lug] Ubuntu implements units policy, will switch to ...

[Michael Paoli]

Interesting, but I think that's a bit of a misrepresentation.  When in
doubt, go to the source (and I did).

I think I'd attempt to concisely (and perhaps a bit inaccurately)
paraphrase as:

"
SI prefixes (kB, MB, etc.) must be (10^3)^N units
binary prefixes (KiB, MiB, etc.) must be (2^10)^N units
use binary for most binary stuff
use SI for (at least) entire disk size
use SI for communications (e.g. bytes/second)
much stuff can use either/both (e.g. based upon command options)
There is kB and KiB, but there is no KB.
there are various exceptions
CLI is an exception
GUI default to SI
bugs will be filed against things that don't suitably conform
"

Or, straight from the horse's mouth:
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UnitsPolicy

Anyway, looks like at least some steps in (arguably more-or-less) the
right direction - at least if nothing else it increases consistency and
reduces ambiguity relative to current state - and that's generally a
rather to quite good thing.

> Date: Sun, 04 Apr 2010 11:15:37 -0700
> From: Bobbie Sellers <bliss at sfo.com>
> Subject: [sf-lug] Ubuntu implements units policy, will switch to
>    base-10 units in future release]
> To: sf-LUG <sf-lug at linuxmafia.com>
>
>     Jim would like you all to see this
>
> -------- Original Message --------
> Subject:      [TAML-WNT] Ubuntu implements units policy, will switch to
> base-10 units in future release
> Date:         Sun, 28 Mar 2010 00:02:17 +0100
> From:         Odd Sanvik
>
> "Ubuntu's future 10.10 operating system is going to make a small, but
> contentious change to how file sizes are represented. Like most other
> operating systems using binary prefixes, Ubuntu currently represents 1
> kB (kilobyte) as 1024 bytes (base-2). But starting with 10.10, a switch
> to SI prefixes (base-10) will denote 1 kB as 1000 bytes, 1 MB as 1000
> kB, 1 GB as 1000 MB, and so on."
>
> http://www.neowin.net/news/ubuntu-implements-units-policy-will-switch-to-base-10-units-in-future-release