The posix library is dedicated to implementing posix functionality which is dependent on C calls via native code or specific file formats. Additional functionality proposed: Group class similar to Passwd. Unix domain sockets. Difficult to integrate with java.net for Datagrams. May have to duplicate java.net functionality. Will be easier for Java 2. Attaching a Socket to an open file descriptor. Some unix APIs pass sockets to a process via open file descriptors - e.g. inetd and AIX SRC. Can this be done portably? Functionality best implemented elsewhere: Syslog implemented via Pure Java in other packages.