From: Steven Jenkins <steven.jenkins@...>
Date: 2003-09-20T14:44:01+09:00
Subject: Re: Trouble with binary files?

Hal Fulton wrote:
> If Unix never distinguished between text and binary files, what
> was the binary mode flag for?

The 'b' modifier was added to ANSI C to support non-Unix execution 
environments that distinguish between text and binary files. It didn't 
exist in Unix until ANSI C required it; since then, it's been a no-op.

http://www.lysator.liu.se/c/rat/d9.html#4-9-2

Steve