diff -rupN b/lib/package/ast-base.pkg a/lib/package/ast-base.pkg
--- b/lib/package/ast-base.pkg 2009-09-21 20:35:51.000000000 +0000
+++ a/lib/package/ast-base.pkg 2011-11-10 16:24:52.515495613 +0000
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ ast-base :PACKAGE: \
libdll libexpr libodelta librecsort libsum libuu libvdelta \
libbz libz tests 3d coshell cpp cs mam msgcc nmake probe ss \
libcoshell libcs libmam libpp libcodex paxlib codexlib \
- libdss libpz dsslib
+ libdss libpz dsslib alias
:COVERS: ast-make ast-ksh ast-ast
diff -rupN b/src/cmd/alias/alias.c a/src/cmd/alias/alias.c
--- b/src/cmd/alias/alias.c 1970-01-01 00:00:00.000000000 +0000
+++ a/src/cmd/alias/alias.c 2011-11-10 16:24:28.356925339 +0000
@@ -0,0 +1,255 @@
+/*
+ * CDDL HEADER START
+ *
+ * The contents of this file are subject to the terms of the
+ * Common Development and Distribution License (the "License").
+ * You may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ *
+ * You can obtain a copy of the license at usr/src/OPENSOLARIS.LICENSE
+ * or http://www.opensolaris.org/os/licensing.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions
+ * and limitations under the License.
+ *
+ * When distributing Covered Code, include this CDDL HEADER in each
+ * file and include the License file at usr/src/OPENSOLARIS.LICENSE.
+ * If applicable, add the following below this CDDL HEADER, with the
+ * fields enclosed by brackets "[]" replaced with your own identifying
+ * information: Portions Copyright [yyyy] [name of copyright owner]
+ *
+ * CDDL HEADER END
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Copyright (c) 2009, 2012, Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ */
+
+/*
+ * alias.c is a C version of the alias.sh wrapper (which links ksh
+ * builtins to commands in /usr/bin/, e.g. calling this wrapper as
+ * /usr/bin/alias will call the ksh "alias" builtin, running it as
+ * /usr/bin/cut will call the ksh "cut" builtin etc.
+ */
+
+#include <shell.h>
+#include <nval.h>
+#include <stdio.h>
+#include <alias.h>
+
+typedef struct {
+ const char *name;
+ int (* func)(int, char **, void *);
+} bfastpathrec;
+
+/*
+ * We've disabled the "fastpath" codepath for some commands below
+ * because it causes a paradoxon for large input files (as used by
+ * ON PerfPIT for testing). For /usr/bin/rev (where the issue was
+ * first discovered) it looks like this:
+ * - for small files like /etc/profile the fastpath is faster in a loop
+ * with 1000 iterations (8 seconds with fastpath, 14 seconds without
+ * fastpath)
+ * - for large files (/usr/pub/UTF-8 replicated until the test file
+ * reaches 24884706 bytes) the benchmark reverses: The fastpath now
+ * needs 40 seconds and without fastpath it needs 30 seconds (for 100
+ * iterations).
+ */
+#if 0
+#define ENABLE_PERFORMANCE_PARADOXON 1
+#endif
+
+/*
+ * List of libcmd builtins which do not require a |Shell_t| context.
+ * This list was automatically generated from <ast/cmdext.h>
+ */
+static const
+bfastpathrec fastpath_builtins[] =
+{
+ /* This list must be alphabetically sorted for |strcmp()| usage */
+ { "basename", b_basename },
+ { "cat", b_cat },
+ { "chgrp", b_chgrp },
+ { "chmod", b_chmod },
+ { "chown", b_chown },
+#ifdef ENABLE_PERFORMANCE_PARADOXON
+ { "cksum", b_cksum },
+#endif /* ENABLE_PERFORMANCE_PARADOXON */
+ { "cmp", b_cmp },
+ { "comm", b_comm },
+ { "cp", b_cp },
+ { "cut", b_cut },
+ { "date", b_date },
+ { "dirname", b_dirname },
+ { "expr", b_expr },
+ { "fds", b_fds },
+ { "fmt", b_fmt },
+ { "fold", b_fold },
+ { "getconf", b_getconf },
+ { "head", b_head },
+ { "id", b_id },
+ { "join", b_join },
+ { "ln", b_ln },
+ { "logname", b_logname },
+ { "md5sum", b_md5sum },
+ { "mkdir", b_mkdir },
+ { "mkfifo", b_mkfifo },
+ { "mktemp", b_mktemp },
+ { "mv", b_mv },
+ { "paste", b_paste },
+ { "pathchk", b_pathchk },
+ { "pids", b_pids },
+#ifdef ENABLE_PERFORMANCE_PARADOXON
+ { "rev", b_rev },
+#endif /* ENABLE_PERFORMANCE_PARADOXON */
+ { "rm", b_rm },
+ { "rmdir", b_rmdir },
+ { "stty", b_stty },
+#ifdef ENABLE_PERFORMANCE_PARADOXON
+ { "sum", b_sum },
+#endif /* ENABLE_PERFORMANCE_PARADOXON */
+ { "sync", b_sync },
+ { "tail", b_tail },
+ { "tee", b_tee },
+ { "tty", b_tty },
+ { "uname", b_uname },
+ { "uniq", b_uniq },
+ { "wc", b_wc },
+ { NULL, (int (*)(int, char **, void *))NULL }
+};
+
+static inline
+const bfastpathrec *
+find_bfastpathrec(const char *name)
+{
+ unsigned int i;
+ signed int cmpres;
+ for (i = 0; fastpath_builtins[i].name != NULL; i++) {
+ cmpres = strcmp(fastpath_builtins[i].name, name);
+ if (cmpres == 0)
+ return (&fastpath_builtins[i]);
+ else if (cmpres > 0)
+ return (NULL);
+
+ }
+ return (NULL);
+}
+
+static inline
+int
+fastpath_builtin_main(const bfastpathrec *brec, int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+ setlocale(LC_ALL, ""); /* calls |_ast_setlocale()| */
+
+ return ((*brec->func)(argc, argv, NULL));
+}
+
+
+/* Builtin script, original derived from alias.sh */
+static const char *script = "\n"
+/* Get name of builtin */
+"typeset cmd=\"${0##*/}\"\n"
+/*
+ * If the requested command is not an alias load it explicitly
+ * to make sure it is not bound to a path (those built-ins which
+ * are mapped via shell aliases point to commands which are
+ * "special shell built-ins" which cannot be bound to a specific
+ * PATH element) - otherwise we may execute the wrong command
+ * if an executable with the same name sits in a PATH element
+ * before /usr/bin (e.g. /usr/xpg4/bin/ls would be executed
+ * before /usr/bin/ls if the path was something like
+ * PATH=/usr/xpg4/bin:/usr/bin).
+ */
+"if [[ \"${cmd}\" != ~(Elr)(alias|unalias|command) ]] && "
+ "! alias \"${cmd}\" >/dev/null 2>&1 ; then\n"
+ "PATH='' builtin \"${cmd}\"\n"
+"fi\n"
+/* command is a keyword and needs to be handled separately */
+"if [[ \"${cmd}\" == \"command\" ]] ; then\n"
+ "command \"$@\"\n"
+"else\n"
+#ifdef WORKAROUND_FOR_ALIAS_CRASH
+/*
+ * Work around a crash in /usr/bin/alias when invalid options are
+ * passed (e.g. $ /usr/bin/alias -c #). The shell code will call
+ * an error handler which does a |longjmp()| but somehow the code
+ * failed to do the |setjmp()| before this point.
+ * Putting the "alias" command in a subshell avoids the crash.
+ * Real cause of the issue is under investigation and a fix be
+ * delivered with the next ast-ksh update.
+ */
+ "( \"${cmd}\" \"$@\" )\n"
+#else
+ "\"${cmd}\" \"$@\"\n"
+#endif /* WORKAROUND_FOR_ALIAS_CRASH */
+"fi\n"
+"exitval=$?";
+
+
+static inline
+int
+script_builtin_main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+ int i;
+ Shell_t *shp;
+ Namval_t *np;
+ int exitval;
+
+ /*
+ * Create copy of |argv| array shifted by one position to
+ * emulate $ /usr/bin/sh <scriptname> <args1> <arg2> ... #.
+ * First position is set to "/usr/bin/sh" since other
+ * values may trigger special shell modes (e.g. *rsh* will
+ * trigger "restricted" shell mode etc.).
+ */
+ char *xargv[argc+2];
+ xargv[0] = "/usr/bin/sh";
+ xargv[1] = "scriptname";
+ for (i = 0; i < argc; i++) {
+ xargv[i+1] = argv[i];
+ }
+ xargv[i+1] = NULL;
+
+ shp = sh_init(argc+1, xargv, 0);
+ if (!shp)
+ error(ERROR_exit(1), "shell initialisation failed.");
+ (void) sh_trap(script, 0);
+
+ np = nv_open("exitval", shp->var_tree, 0);
+ if (!np)
+ error(ERROR_exit(1), "variable %s not found.", "exitval");
+ exitval = (int)nv_getnum(np);
+ nv_close(np);
+
+ return (exitval);
+}
+
+int
+main(int argc, char *argv[])
+{
+ const char *progname;
+ const bfastpathrec *brec;
+ char execnamebuff[PATH_MAX+1];
+
+ /* Get program name */
+ if (pathprog(argv[0], execnamebuff, sizeof (execnamebuff)) <= 0)
+ error(ERROR_exit(1), "could not determinate exec name.");
+
+ progname = (const char *)strrchr(execnamebuff, '/');
+ if (progname != NULL) {
+ progname++;
+ }
+ else
+ {
+ progname = execnamebuff;
+ }
+
+ /* Execute command... */
+ if (brec = find_bfastpathrec(progname)) {
+ /* ... either via a fast path (calling the code directly) ... */
+ return (fastpath_builtin_main(brec, argc, argv));
+ }
+ else
+ {
+ /* ... or from within a full shell. */
+ return (script_builtin_main(argc, argv));
+ }
+}
diff -rupN b/src/cmd/alias/alias.h a/src/cmd/alias/alias.h
--- b/src/cmd/alias/alias.h 1970-01-01 00:00:00.000000000 +0000
+++ a/src/cmd/alias/alias.h 2011-11-10 16:24:28.357387725 +0000
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+/***********************************************************************
+* *
+* This software is part of the ast package *
+* Copyright (c) 1992-2011 AT&T Intellectual Property *
+* and is licensed under the *
+* Common Public License, Version 1.0 *
+* by AT&T Intellectual Property *
+* *
+* A copy of the License is available at *
+* http://www.opensource.org/licenses/cpl1.0.txt *
+* (with md5 checksum 059e8cd6165cb4c31e351f2b69388fd9) *
+* *
+* Information and Software Systems Research *
+* AT&T Research *
+* Florham Park NJ *
+* *
+* Glenn Fowler <[email protected]> *
+* David Korn <[email protected]> *
+* *
+***********************************************************************/
+
+extern int b_asa (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_basename (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_cat (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_chgrp (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_chmod (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_chown (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_cksum (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_cmp (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_comm (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_cp (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_cut (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_date (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_dirname (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_egrep (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_expr (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_fds (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_fgrep (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_find (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_fmt (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_fold (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_getconf (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_grep (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_head (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_id (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_join (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_line (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_ln (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_logname (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_ls (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_md5sum (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_mkdir (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_mkfifo (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_mktemp (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_mv (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_paste (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_od (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_pathchk (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_pids (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_pr (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_rev (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_readlink (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_rm (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_rmdir (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_stty (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_sum (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_sync (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_strings (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_tail (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_tee (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_tr (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_tty (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_uname (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_uniq (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_vmstate (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_wc (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_who (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_xgrep (int, char**, void *);
+extern int b_xargs (int, char**, void *);
diff -rupN b/src/cmd/alias/Makefile a/src/cmd/alias/Makefile
--- b/src/cmd/alias/Makefile 1970-01-01 00:00:00.000000000 +0000
+++ a/src/cmd/alias/Makefile 2011-11-10 16:24:28.357746164 +0000
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+:PACKAGE: ast:static
+
+LICENSE = cddl
+libtype = :static
+alias :: RELEASE alias.c +lshell