$PIPESTATUS is not updated by single external commands

[Paul Jarc]

Configuration Information [Automatically generated, do not change]:
Machine: i686
OS: linux-gnu
Compiler: gcc
Compilation CFLAGS:  -DPROGRAM='bash' -DCONF_HOSTTYPE='i686' 
-DCONF_OSTYPE='linux-gnu' -DCONF_MACHTYPE='i686-pc-linux-gnu' 
-DCONF_VENDOR='pc' -DSHELL -DHAVE_CONFIG_H  
-I/package/host/localhost/bash-2.05a/conf/readline/include 
-I/package/host/localhost/bash-2.05a/conf/ncurses/include  -I. 
-I/package/host/localhost/bash-2.05a/conf/readline/include -I. -I./include 
-I./lib -O2
uname output: Linux multivac.cwru.edu 2.4.4 #1 SMP Fri May 11 16:28:16 EDT 2001 
i686 unknown
Machine Type: i686-pc-linux-gnu

Bash Version: 2.05a
Patch Level: 0
Release Status: release

A single-element pipeline containing an external command does not
update PIPESTATUS.  Problems like this might be easier to detect if $?
were reimplemented as just an alias for ${PIPESTATUS[$#PIPESTATUS]}.
They are intended to always have the same value, aren't they?

bash-2.05a$ PS1='$(echo "${PIPESTATUS[@]}") $ '
0 $ false | false
1 1 $ ls | cat > /dev/null
0 0 $ /bin/false
0 0 $ false | false
1 1 $ ls > /dev/null
1 1 $ true
0 $ 


paul